A gale of defection appeared to have hit the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the recent exit of some influential politicians from the party.
At least 16 members of the House of Representatives have now resigned their membership of the party to join the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Their defections were announced on the floor of the House during plenary on Tuesday. The defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was also announced.
Lawmakers who defected to 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 and Abdulhakeem Ado.
These defections further underscore and deepen the ongoing political alignments and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The exit of the lawmakers from ADC to join the NDC came two days after former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and his Kano State counterpart Musa Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC from the ADC.
Obi, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), received the NDC membership cards on Sunday amid cheers from supporters, shortly after a closed-door meeting with leaders of the NDC.
The two opposition leaders were welcomed into the NDC by a former Governor of Bayelsa State and national leader of the party, Senator Seriake Dickson
