APC Reps membership now 268 as 12 Rep members dump PDP, LP for APC, ADC
The gale of defection sweeping through the National Assembly due to an internal crisis in the opposition parties has swelled the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to about
The gale of defection sweeping through the National Assembly due to an internal crisis in the opposition parties has swelled the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to about 268 members in the House of Representatives.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which before now has only one member in Joseph Leke Abejide, now has seven members following the defection of six members to the party during plenary on Thursday.
At the inauguration on the 23rd of June, 2023, the APC had about 181 members, while the opposition parties had 179 members, with the PDP having about 115 members.
At the end of the plenary on Thursday, the PDP lost another six members, further depleting the party's strength in the House to 49 members.
The Labour Party, which lost some members to the ADC, now has 14 members remaining in the House. The NNPP also has 14 members left in the House, but there are indications that some members of the party are on their way out.
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The All Progressive Grand Alliance still has five members, and the Social Democratic Party also has two members. Accord, which had no member in the House when it was inaugurated, now has one member, while the YPP now has no members in the House.
At the House Plenary on Thursday, 12 members changed their political parties with an indication that five others are set to defect either to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Six of the 12 defectors left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC, 5 members dumped the Labour Party and the PDP for the ADC, while 1 member left the YPP for the ADC.
The Nation reports that the defection has raised more concern for party instability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors are James Barka (PDP, Adamawa to the APC), Kwamoti Bitrus Laori (PDP, Adamawa to the APC), Zakaria Nyampa (PDP, Adamawa to the APC), Kobis Thimnu (PDP, Adamawa to the APC), Midala Balami (PDP-Borno to APC), and Mohammed Bargaja (PDP-Sokoto to APC).
The defectors to the ADC are Afam Victor Ogene (LP-Anambra), Peter Aniekwe (YPP-Anambra), Lilian Orogbu (LP-Anambra) , Jessey Onakalusi (LP- Lagos), and Murphy Osaro Omoruyi (LP-Edo).
Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary, disclosed that some other members had written to the leadership notifying them of their intention to dump their current parties
He, however, said that the letters and destination of the members will not be disclosed in their absence.
While announcing the defectors' names, Kalu said their stated reason for defecting was the same as others who had left, but noted the House was maximising time and therefore would not read the letters.
He, however, said that the lawmakers' letters would only be read when they are on the floor of the House and not in their absence.
During Wednesday’s plenary, Garba Inuwa and Abdullahi El-Rasheed from Gombe andMohammed Audu (PDP-Taraba), Joshua Obika (LP-FCT) defected to the APC, while Adewale Adebayo (PDP-Osun) defected to the Accord Party.
