Four members of the House of Representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while another lawmaker has joined the Accord Party, citing persistent internal crises in their former political parties. The defections were announced during plenary on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Those who moved to the APC are Inuwa Garuba, representing Yamaltu/Deba federal constituency of Gombe State; Abdullahi El-Rasheed, representing Dukku/Nafada federal constituency of Gombe State; and Mohammed Audu, representing Karim Lamido/Lau/Ardo-Kola federal constituency of Taraba State.
The three lawmakers were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Also joining the APC is Obika Chinedu, who represents Abuja Municipal/Bwari federal constituency of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Chinedu was elected under the Labour Party (LP) before his defection.
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In a separate move, Adewale Adebayo, representing Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu federal constituency of Osun State, resigned from the PDP to join the Accord Party.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read the notices of defection during the session.
In their letters, the lawmakers cited unresolved internal disputes within their former parties as the reason for their decision.
The PDP has been grappling with a leadership crisis that has split the party into rival factions. One faction, led by Kabiru Turaki, is backed by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, while another faction headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed is supported by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Observers say the internal rift has weakened cohesion within the opposition party and contributed to a wave of defections by elected officials as political actors begin positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.