A new round of political defections has swept through the National Assembly, signalling shifting alliances as preparations for the 2027 general elections begin to take shape.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the latest developments, highlighting movements across several parties in both chambers of the legislature. Among the notable changes, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South, has returned to the Labour Party after a brief stint with the African Democratic Congress.
In a separate notification to the Senate, Senator Victor Umeh announced his decision to leave the African Democratic Congress and join the Nigeria Democratic Congress. Similarly, Deputy Minority Whip Rufai Hanga confirmed his defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas also confirmed a series of defections involving lawmakers who moved from the African Democratic Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. Those affected include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande, and Munachim Umezuruike.
Additional lawmakers who joined the same political platform are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, and Abdulhakeem Ado, further expanding the ranks of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in the lower chamber.
Meanwhile, Leke Abejide, representing Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State, defected from the African Democratic Congress to the All Progressives Congress, adding another dimension to the ongoing realignments.
The series of defections reflects a broader repositioning within the political landscape as parties and lawmakers adjust strategies in anticipation of the next electoral cycle.
