Defection Wave Hits PDP as Three Katsina Reps Join APC Amid Growing Party Crisis
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Thursday as three members of the House of Representatives from Katsina State formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing internal turmoil and lack of cohesion within the opposition party.
The announcement was made during plenary, where Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read the letters of defection submitted by the lawmakers.
The defectors include Abdullahi Balarabe (Bakori/Danja federal constituency), Abubakar Albaba Aliyu (Batasari/Safana/Dan-Musa), and Yusuf Majigiri (Mashi/Dutsi). All three pointed to persistent internal conflicts in the PDP as their reason for leaving.
“I needed a more stable platform to effectively serve my constituents,” Balarabe said, describing the PDP’s troubles as a “protracted crisis.”
Aliyu echoed similar sentiments, blaming the PDP’s “lack of cohesiveness” for his decision, while Majigiri lamented what he called a “high level of internal crisis without remedy.”
Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda, state APC Chairman Muhammad Ali, and other political stakeholders were present at the plenary session to welcome the new party members — a clear signal of the APC’s growing influence in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
The Katsina defections are the latest in a mounting wave that has seen several lawmakers across Nigeria abandon their parties, particularly the PDP, in favor of the APC.
Since October 2024, the House of Representatives has witnessed a steady trickle of defections. On October 2, Chris Nkwonta from Abia joined the APC, followed by Zamfara’s Sulaiman Abubakar on October 30.
The trickle became a flood in December, when four Labour Party (LP) lawmakers and a PDP member switched allegiance to the APC. The trend continued in February and March, with high-profile PDP members like Amos Magaji (Kaduna), Garba Koko (Kebbi), Jallo Mohammed (Kaduna), and Adamu Tanko (Niger) also defecting.
On March 27, Clara Nnabuife of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) left for APGA, citing marginalization.
More recently, on Tuesday, six PDP members and two LP legislators crossed party lines. Among them were Obetta Chidi and Dennis Agbo, who moved from LP to PDP, while Victor Nwokolo, Julius Pondi, Thomas Ereyitomi, Nicholas Mutu, Ukodhiko Jonathan, and Ezechi Nnamdi all ditched the PDP for the APC.
Mutu’s defection is particularly notable — he has served in the House since 1999, making him one of the longest-serving lawmakers in Nigeria’s democratic history.
The steady erosion of PDP ranks in the House is raising serious concerns about the party’s organizational stability and future viability. Political analysts suggest that unless the PDP urgently addresses its internal divisions, the 2027 general elections may see a further weakening of the once-dominant opposition party.
Meanwhile, the APC continues to consolidate power, leveraging the defections as both a political advantage and a public endorsement of its leadership.
