ABUJA, NIGERIA — The House of Representatives witnessed fresh defections on Wednesday as four lawmakers dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while another lawmaker moved to the Accord Party .
The defections were announced during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, who read the letters of the affected lawmakers on the floor of the chamber .
Those who defected to the APC include Garba Inuwa, representing Yamaltu/Deba Federal Constituency of Gombe State; Abdullahi El-Rasheed, representing Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency of Gombe State; Mohammed Audu, representing Karim Lamido/Lau/Ardo-Kola Federal Constituency of Taraba State; and Joshua Obika, representing Abuja Municipal/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory .
While Inuwa, El-Rasheed and Audu defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Obika announced his exit from the Labour Party (LP) to join the ruling party . In a separate move, Adewale Morufu Adebayo, representing Irepodun/Olorunda/Oshogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency of Osun State, defected from the PDP to the Accord Party .
In their separate letters, the lawmakers attributed their decisions to internal crises and leadership disputes within their former parties, which they said had weakened party structures and hindered their ability to deliver democratic dividends to their constituents .
Obika, in his letter, cited the emergence of multiple factions within the Labour Party as the reason for his defection, noting that the prolonged and unresolved leadership crises had resulted in deep divisions . He further pointed to the recent area council elections in the FCT as an example of how the internal crisis had negatively affected the party’s operations, with LP candidates not uploaded on the INEC portal, leading to widespread disenfranchisement of supporters .
The defections are the latest in a series that have battered opposition parties in recent months, with internal wrangling, leadership tussles, and protracted litigation triggering an exodus to the APC in both chambers . The ruling party now controls 245 seats in the 360-member House, leaving 115 with seven opposition parties .
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