politics

Reps Defections Deepen Crisis for APC, PDP

Published

6 months ago

May 8, 2026

Reps defections intensify as lawmakers leave APC and PDP for NDC and ADC ahead of rising opposition coalition talks

Fresh defections in the House of Representatives on Thursday deepened political tensions within Nigeria’s major parties as five lawmakers abandoned the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party for the Nigeria Democratic Congress and the African Democratic Congress.

Also read: ADC Reacts as Obi, Kwankwaso Exit in Setback Move

The latest Reps defections came just days after 17 lawmakers moved to the NDC, fuelling speculation about an emerging opposition alliance ahead of the next general election cycle.

The defections were formally announced during plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

Among those who switched parties was Muhammed El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, who defected from the APC to the NDC.

Also joining the NDC were Joshua Obika, representing the Abaji/Gwagwalada/Kuje/Kwali Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory, and Abdulhakeem Kamilu, representing Wudil/Garko Federal Constituency in Kano State.

Meanwhile, Suleiman Richifa and Umar Ajilo defected from the PDP to the ADC, citing unresolved internal crises within the opposition party.

Muhammed El-Rufai’s decision is widely viewed as politically significant given the increasingly strained relationship between his father and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The younger El-Rufai, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency, had faced months of speculation over his political future amid growing criticism of the APC by the former Kaduna governor.

Nasir El-Rufai, once considered a close ally of Tinubu and a major figure within the APC, has repeatedly accused the party leadership of abandoning internal democracy and marginalising influential stakeholders.

Political observers have linked the breakdown in relations to the former governor’s failed ministerial nomination in 2023, which exposed widening cracks between him and the presidency.

For Obika, Thursday’s announcement marked his third political movement in under two years.

The lawmaker was elected into the House on the platform of the Labour Party in 2023 before defecting to the APC in March 2026 and now to the NDC.

Kamilu, who recently joined the ADC from the New Nigeria People’s Party, attributed his latest switch to what he described as a leadership crisis within his former party.

Richifa and Ajilo also blamed prolonged disputes within the PDP at both state and national levels for their departure.

Also read: Aisha Yesufu Dumps ADC for NDC in Bold Political Move

Thursday’s wave of Reps defections has further reshaped political alignments in the lower chamber and heightened expectations that more lawmakers could switch allegiances as coalition talks intensify ahead of future elections.

Related Topics:APC featured House of Representatives Nasir el-Rufai NDC PDP

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politics

2027: Political Parties Mobilise Thousands of Polling Agents

Published

20 hours ago

November 8, 2026

Mariam Balogun

Political parties in Nigeria have intensified the recruitment and training of polling agents ahead of the 2027 general elections, as preparations shift towards securing representation at polling units across the country.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), are putting structures in place to monitor voting, counting and collation of results.

The development comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introduces an electronic platform for political parties to nominate and submit the details of their polling agents, replacing the manual submission system used in previous elections.

Nigeria has 176,846 polling units, making nationwide representation a major logistical undertaking for parties seeking to monitor the electoral process from the grassroots.

The APC has claimed that it has recruited 4,421,150 polling agents across the country’s polling units.

Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, disclosed the figure while speaking at a two-day national retreat of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in Abuja.

The ruling party said its mobilisation was part of efforts to strengthen its grassroots presence and ensure adequate representation during the elections.

The opposition parties are also developing their own strategies, with some focusing on recruiting committed members, screening nominees and training officials responsible for submitting agents’ details to INEC.

PDP trains officials, warns against double agents

The PDP has begun training its state executives and officials responsible for uploading the details of its polling agents to INEC’s online portal.

At a capacity-building session in Abuja on November 2, the party’s National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, urged participants to take the exercise seriously and extend the training to officials at the local government and ward levels.

He stressed that election monitoring began at polling units, where party agents played an important role in protecting candidates’ interests.

The party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, also cautioned state executives against engaging individuals who were not committed members of the party.

Bature warned against the recruitment of so-called double agents who could abandon their responsibilities or work for rival parties during elections.

He urged party officials to properly screen nominees and prioritise loyal members who had demonstrated commitment to the organisation.

The PDP subsequently directed its state secretaries to submit their agents’ details to the national leadership by December 2, ahead of the commission’s submission deadline.

Labour Party draws lessons from 2023 election

The Labour Party has also commenced the recruitment, screening and notification of polling agents as part of its preparations for the 2027 elections.

Its Interim National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, said the party was drawing lessons from the 2023 general elections, particularly the difficulties it encountered in obtaining comprehensive coverage of polling units.