Two NNPP Lawmakers Join APC Amid Ongoing Shake-Up in House of Reps
The political tides in the House of Representatives continue to shift as two lawmakers from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during Thursday’s plenary session.
Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, read the notices of defection submitted by Kabiru Usman (Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya) and Abdullahi Sani (Karaye/Rogo), both representing federal constituencies in Kano State. The lawmakers attributed their decision to the internal crisis plaguing the NNPP.
Joining them in the move was Oluwole Oke, a representative from Osun State, who also declared allegiance to the ruling APC.
To mark the high-profile defections, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and other top party leaders were present in the green chamber, underlining the strategic significance of the latest additions to the party’s strength in the House.
Thursday’s development adds to a growing list of defections that have reshaped the political balance in the House over recent months.
Here are some of the defection from other political parties to APC:
October 2024: Chris Nkwonta (Abia) and Sulaiman Abubakar (Zamfara) left the PDP for the APC.
December 5: Four Labour Party (LP) members and one PDP lawmaker crossed over to the APC.
February 2025: Amos Magaji (Kaduna) and Garba Koko (Kebbi) also defected from the PDP to the ruling party.
March 18: PDP lawmakers Jallo Mohammed (Kaduna) and Adamu Tanko (Niger) defected citing internal discord.
March 27: Clara Nnabuife of the YPP left for APGA due to being sidelined in party affairs.
May: A flurry of shifts saw six PDP lawmakers join APC, while two LP members moved to PDP.
Obetta Chidi and Dennis Agbo, both from Enugu, defected from the LP to PDP. Victor Nwokolo, Julius Pondi, Thomas Ereyitomi, Nicholas Mutu, Ukodhiko Jonathan, and Ezechi Nnamdi all exited the PDP for the APC.
On May 8, the PDP suffered another blow as three lawmakers from Katsina State — Abdullahi Balarabe, Abubakar Albaba Aliyu, and Yusuf Majigiri — also abandoned the party, each citing internal crisis and lack of cohesion.
These defections underscore the fragile nature of Nigeria’s political alliances and hint at a broader realignment ahead of the next general elections. The APC, already the ruling party, continues to consolidate its position in the legislature, while the PDP, LP, and NNPP struggle to contain internal discord and retain their lawmakers.
