ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The House of Representatives on Tuesday experienced a major political shake-up as 13 lawmakers formally defected from their political parties, citing internal crises, leadership disagreements, and the need to better serve their constituents.
The development unfolded during plenary after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read out letters from the affected members, notifying the chamber of their resignations from their respective parties and explaining the reasons behind their decisions.
Among those who defected was Gaza, who left the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the Labour Party (LP), with the switch taking effect in May 2026.
Also, Alex Ehnona moved from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), assuring colleagues that his legislative responsibilities and loyalty to the House would remain unchanged despite his change of party affiliation.
In a separate move, Esosa Iyawo announced his exit from the APC to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), marking his second party switch within three weeks.
He attributed the decision to unresolved internal disputes within the Edo State chapter of the APC and what he described as the party’s failure to address members’ concerns. He also withdrew an earlier notification dated May 12, 2026, reaffirming his commitment to democratic representation.
Sani Lawal also left the APC, effective May 4, explaining that his defection was driven by a desire to reposition himself for more effective representation of his constituents.
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Similarly, Shehu Tafoki crossed over from the APC to the PDP after what he described as extensive consultations with stakeholders and constituents aimed at improving service delivery.
The House also recorded a significant shift in Oyo State, where six PDP lawmakers defected to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The affected lawmakers are Adebayo Adepoju, Adedeji Stanley Olajide, Ojo Sunday, Najeem Oyedeji, Folajimi Oyekunle, and Abbas Adigun, cited prolonged leadership crisis, internal divisions, unresolved disputes, and ongoing legal battles within the PDP as reasons for their exit.
In their separate letters, they said their decisions followed wide consultations with constituents and political stakeholders, adding that the move was necessary to ensure more effective representation.
In another development, Etanebene Benedict moved from the Labour Party to the PDP. He blamed the decision on the dissolution of the party’s executive structure, which he said left members without recognised leadership during key nomination processes.
He further alleged that several party leaders were openly supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, making it difficult for him to remain within the Labour Party.
Meanwhile, Auwalu Gwalabe of Bauchi State left the PDP for the APM, effective May 4, also citing internal disagreements.
In a related change in House leadership, former Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda resigned from his position after defecting from the PDP to the APC.
Chinda, who recently emerged as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 Rivers State governorship election, formally notified the House of his resignation, bringing his tenure as Minority Leader of the opposition caucus in the Green Chamber to an end.