No fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives have defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in a move that underscores intensifying political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gatekeepers News reports that the defections were formally announced during plenary on Tuesday.
Also confirmed on the floor of the House was the defection of Leke Abejide, who moved from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lawmakers who joined the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.
The wave of defections comes amid shifting alliances within Nigeria’s political landscape as parties and key actors reposition ahead of the next general election cycle.
ADC to NDC Momentum Builds
The lawmakers’ move follows closely behind the high-profile defection of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and former Kano State governor, Musa Kwankwaso, who formally joined the NDC from the ADC just two days earlier.
Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Kwankwaso, a former presidential flagbearer of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), were presented with NDC membership cards on Sunday. The event took place shortly after a closed-door meeting with party leaders and was greeted with cheers from supporters.
The duo were received into the party by former Bayelsa State governor and NDC national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson.
Explaining his decision to exit the ADC, Obi cited a worsening political environment characterised by internal crises, external interference and growing hostility within party structures.
He described Nigeria’s political space as increasingly toxic, marked by intimidation, insecurity and sustained scrutiny, adding that institutions meant to protect citizens often work against them.
Clarifying that his decision was not driven by personal grievances, Obi said he still holds key party leaders in high regard.
“Let me state clearly: my decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me. I will continue to respect them.
“However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division, instead of focusing on deeper national problems and playing politics built more on control and exclusion than on service and nation-building.”
Kwankwaso, on his part, urged Nigerians to register with the NDC, noting that his political camp had already begun the process.
‘No Litigation, No Factions’ — Dickson
Welcoming the new entrants, Senator Dickson described the NDC as a united platform free from internal disputes.
“On behalf of the leaders of our party and on behalf of the teeming members of our party, well-meaning Nigerians from all over our country, who in the five months have defied all odds and conquered all doubts, and invested their trust and confidence in the dream and vision of this party. On behalf of all of them, I thank you all, and I welcome you all, especially to the NDC and my humble home,” he said.
He added that despite being relatively new, the party is prepared to “box above its weight.”
