Seventeen members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives have defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in a significant political shift announced during plenary on Tuesday.
The defections, officially read on the floor of the Green Chamber, represent one of the largest single cross-party movements in recent times, signaling intensifying political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The lawmakers who switched allegiance to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande, Munachim Umezuruike, Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, and Abdulhakeem Ado.
In a related development, Leke Abejide defected from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC), further highlighting the ongoing reshuffling within the lower legislative chamber.
The wave of defections comes just 24 hours after former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso announced their exit from the ADC to join the NDC, a move widely viewed as a major twist in the political buildup to the next general elections.
The latest development is expected to alter the balance of power in the House of Representatives and heighten political maneuvering among parties as preparations for 2027 gather momentum.
