Two members of the House of Representatives have defected to All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gatekeepers News reports that Peter Akpanke ( Cross River) defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Paul Nnamchi (Enugu) from Labourt Party (LP).
Their letters of defection were read on the floor by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during Tuesday’s plenary.
Akpanke cited internal crises within the PDP, while Nnamchi pointed to leadership issues in the LP.
In the lead-up to 2027 general elections, the House of Representatives has witnessed a steady wave of defections which have favoured the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In October 2024, Chris Nkwonta (Abia) and Sulaiman Abubakar (Zamfara) defected from PDP APC. By December , four Labour Party (LP) lawmakers and another PDP member joined the ruling party.
Amos Magaji (Kaduna) and Garba Koko (Kebbi) defected PDP for APC in February 2025, citing persistent internal crises. Two more PDP lawmakers, Jallo Mohammed and Adamu Tanko, joined APC in March 2025.
Around the same period, Clara Nnabuife from Young Progressives Party (YPP) defected to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), citing that she sidelined by her party.
In May, Obetta Chidi and Dennis Agbo left LP for PDP, while some PDP legislators including Victor Nwokolo, Julius Pondi, and Thomas Ereyitomi defected to APC.
PDP stalwart Nicholas Mutu, who has been in the House since 1999, also joined APC, alongside colleagues like Ezechi Nnamdi and Ukodhiko Jonathan.
Additionally, three lawmakers from Katsina, Abdullahi Balarabe, Abubakar Albaba Aliyu, and Yusuf Majigiri left PDP over concerns about the party’s prolonged instability and lack of internal cohesiveness.
In May, two lawmakers from Kano; Kabiru Usman and Abdullahi Sani, representing NNPP defected to APC.
By the end of the same month, APC welcomed more lawmakers from both PDP and LP, including Okolie Lawrence and Akingbaso Olanrewaju.
