The wave of defections in the House of Representatives gathered momentum on Thursday as four lawmakers from Bauchi State dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), signalling continued political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas announced the defections during plenary after reading letters from the affected lawmakers informing the House of their decision to leave the PDP.
The lawmakers are Muhammad Shehu, representing Zaki Federal Constituency; Aliyu Garu, representing Bauchi Federal Constituency; Sani Tanko, representing Shira/Giade Federal Constituency; and Mansur Soro, representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency.
Also announcing a change of party affiliation was Jeremiah Umaru, who represents Akwanga/Nasarawa Eggon/Wamba Federal Constituency in Nasarawa State. Umaru defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In their letters, the lawmakers cited internal crises within their former parties and the need to provide effective representation for their constituents as reasons for their decisions.
The latest defections highlight the growing political reshuffling taking place within the National Assembly as politicians reposition themselves ahead of future electoral contests.
The exit of the four Bauchi lawmakers is particularly notable given the PDP’s long-standing dominance in the state and comes amid heightened political manoeuvring over the state’s future political direction.
The development follows a string of defections recorded in the House in recent days. On Tuesday, eight lawmakers left the PDP for the APM, while three others switched from the APC to the PDP and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
On Wednesday, three lawmakers also defected from the APC to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The growing movement across party lines has fuelled speculation about emerging alliances and political coalitions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Although defections are a familiar feature of Nigeria’s political landscape, the recent surge has attracted attention because of its scale and timing.
Political analysts believe many lawmakers are reassessing their political futures amid internal party disputes, leadership crises, shifting alliances and efforts by smaller political parties to strengthen their structures ahead of the next election cycle.
The defections also come at a challenging period for opposition parties, many of which are battling internal disagreements, while emerging parties seek to expand their influence by attracting serving legislators.
For the PDP, the loss of four federal lawmakers from the same state marks another setback as the party continues efforts to rebuild unity following divisions that emerged after the 2023 general election.
The APM, meanwhile, appears to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ongoing realignments, having attracted a growing number of lawmakers in recent weeks.
The party now boasts the support of Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
With legislative activities expected to continue for another year before political campaigns gather full momentum, attention will remain on whether the wave of defections persists and how it could reshape the balance of power in the House of Representatives.