Political Shake-Up in NASS as 9 Senators, 12 Reps Dump Parties

Political Shake-Up in NASS as 9 Senators, 12 Reps Dump Parties

A wave of political defections swept through the National Assembly of Nigeria on Thursday as 21 federal lawmakers announced their departure from their respective parties for new political platforms.

At the Senate, nine senators defected from different parties to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while 12 members of the House of Representatives also switched party allegiance.

The defections were formally communicated through separate letters addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, which were read during plenary.

Among the senators who moved to the ADC are Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia), Binos Yaroe (Adamawa), Victor Umeh (Anambra), Tony Nwoye (Anambra), Lawal Usman (Kaduna), Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa), Augustine Akobundu (Abia) and Ireti Kingibe representing the Federal Capital Territory.

In the House of Representatives, six lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). They include James Barka (Adamawa), Kwamoti Bitrus Laori (Adamawa), Zakaria Nyampa (Adamawa), Kobis Thimnu (Adamawa), Midala Balami (Borno) and Mohammed Bargaja (Sokoto).

Five other lawmakers left the Labour Party and the PDP to join the ADC. They are Afam Victor Ogene, Peter Aniekwe and Lilian Orogbu from Anambra State, as well as Jesse Onakalusi (Lagos) and Murphy Osaro Omoruyi (Edo).

Another lawmaker also moved from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the ADC.

The mass defections mark one of the largest shifts in party alignment within the current session of the National Assembly and are expected to reshape the political balance ahead of 2027 general elections.