At least 17 members of the House of Representatives have defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in a major shift on the floor of the lower chamber.
The defections were formally announced during plenary on Tuesday, signalling a fresh wave of political realignments.
Also announced was the defection of Leke Abejide, who moved from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Those 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 latest defections highlight intensifying political recalibrations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
ADC to NDC
The lawmakers’ move comes just two days after former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Kano State Governor, Musa Kwankwaso, formally dumped the ADC for the NDC.
Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), received their NDC membership cards on Sunday after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
They were welcomed into the party by former Bayelsa State Governor and NDC national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson.
Explaining his decision, Obi cited a deteriorating political environment marked by internal crises, external interference and deepening divisions within party structures.
He described Nigeria’s political space as increasingly toxic, driven by intimidation, insecurity and sustained pressure on those seeking genuine reform.
Obi clarified that his exit was not due to personal grievances with party leaders, including former Senate President David Mark and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, both of whom he said he holds in high regard.
Rather, he pointed to persistent internal disputes, legal battles and what he described as the infiltration of destabilising forces—challenges he said mirror his experience in the Labour Party.
Kwankwaso, meanwhile, called on Nigerians to register with the NDC, noting that his camp had already begun mobilisation efforts.
‘No litigation’
Welcoming the defectors, Senator Dickson described the NDC as a party free of litigation and factional disputes.
He said the party, though relatively new, is fast gaining ground as a stable and credible political platform.
According to him, the NDC is ready to “box above its weight” despite its age.
