Ahead of the 2027 general elections, political activities have quietly begun to shape up as politicians make calculated moves to stay relevant in the scheme of things.
While the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), moves to weaken the opposition, the oppositions parties are restrategising with a view to taking power from the APC.
The APC—an amalgamation of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)—was formed in 2013, booting out the PDP, which had been ruling at the centre for 16 years, in the 2015 general elections.
Since then, the PDP has been deploying one tactic or another to reclaim power to no avail. In 2023, the Labour Party and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) threw their hats into the ring, bringing more competition and intrigues to the presidential race in Nigeria.
In less than two years into the current administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fresh political gambits appear to be unfolding in different forms, including defections from one party to another. However, the lawmakers have attributed their defections to internal crisis within their parties.
Daily Trust chronicles federal lawmakers who have left the parties under which they won elections in 2023 for the APC.
Onyewuchi
In July 2024, the Senator representing Imo East Francis Onyewuchi, dumped the Labour Party (LP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Oyewuchi’s defection was announced via a letter read by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the plenary.
The senator said his decision to quit the LP was as a result of the factions in the party at the national and state levels, as well as the bickering among party leaders.
Ned Nwoko
In February, 2025, Ned Nwoko, the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nwoko cited deep divisions and factional crises within the PDP, as the reason behind his defection to the ruling APC.
Koko
Also in February 2025, Salisu Garba Koko, the member representing Besse/Maiyama Federal Constituency of Kebbi State, defected from the PDP to the APC.
In a letter to the House, the lawmaker hinged his decision on what he described as a “protracted crisis” within the PDP.
Magaji
Also in February 2025, the member representing Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Rep. Amos Gwamna Magaji, defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Magaji attributed his decision to the internal crisis rocking the PDP at both the national and state levels.
Nkwonta
In October 2024, the member representing the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency of Abia State, Christian Nkwonta, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Like his colleagues, Nkwonta cited crisis within the PDP as the reason for his decision.
Ajang
In December 2024, the member representing Jos South and East Federal Constituency Alfred Illiya Ajang defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ajang insisted that the crisis in the Labour Party was the reason for his defection.
Four LP lawmakers
In December 2024 also four lawmakers of the Labour Party including Chinedu Okere (representing Owerri municipal/owerri north/Owerri west constituency), Mathew Donatus (representing Kaura federal constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (representing Calabar municipal/Odukpani constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (representing Oredo federal constituency of Edo) defected to the ruling APC.
But reacting to the development, the leadership of the Labour Party condemned the action, describing it as as “quite unfortunate” and “irrational.”
In a statement, the party said that it would approach the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare vacant the seats occupied by the defected lawmakers.
The statement said, “Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare vacant the seats occupied by these former Labour Party members in line with the House Rules. It is inappropriate and unacceptable for the these lawmakers to continue to function as representatives of their constituencies illegally.
“The party has also decided to open a ‘Hall of Shame’ register for these lawmakers or any lawmaker or elected officer of the party who engages in fraudulent act of defection without first dropping the mandate gotten under the ticket of the party.”