No fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives have defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), signaling a fresh wave of political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was formally announced during plenary on Tuesday, when the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, read out letters of defection from the affected lawmakers on the floor of the chamber.
Among those who switched allegiance to the NDC are 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, the Speaker also confirmed the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The mass defection is widely seen as part of ongoing political recalibrations within opposition ranks, as parties position themselves for stronger influence in the next electoral cycle.
Meanwhile, a senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has attributed the recent exit of former presidential candidate Peter Obi from the ADC to internal imbalances within the party.
Umeh, speaking during an interview on ARISE Television’s Prime Time programme on Monday, said there were clear indications that Obi would not secure the party’s presidential ticket if he had remained.
According to the lawmaker, structural and political disparities within the ADC-led coalition created uncertainty around the party’s direction, ultimately influencing Obi’s decision to leave.
It would be recalled that Peter Obi, alongside a former Governor of Kano State, recently defected from the ADC to the NDC, further strengthening the emerging political bloc.
Analysts say the growing movement of key political figures and lawmakers between parties underscores shifting alliances and intensifying competition as Nigeria’s political landscape gradually takes shape ahead of the next general elections.
