In a significant political realignment, two members of the House of Representatives from Kano State, elected under the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and one from Osun State, elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, May 15, during a plenary session in Abuja.
The NNPP lawmakers, Hon. Kabiru Usman, representing Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya Federal Constituency, and Hon. Abdullahi Sani, representing Karaye/Rogo Federal Constituency, cited internal crises within the NNPP as their reason for switching allegiance.
Similarly, Hon. Oluwole Oke, representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency in Osun State, announced his move to the APC, further bolstering the ruling party’s dominance in the National Assembly.
The defections, witnessed by APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje in the Green Chamber, underscore the ongoing wave of opposition lawmakers joining the APC, raising concerns about Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
The defections were formalized when Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read the lawmakers’ letters during the plenary, as reported by Punch Newspapers and TheCable. Kabiru Usman and Abdullahi Sani, in their separate statements, pointed to “ongoing internal wrangling” within the NNPP, echoing similar reasons given by Senator Kawu Sumaila, who defected from NNPP to APC on May 8, 2025, per Inquirer.ng.
The NNPP, led by former Kano Governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has faced leadership disputes and factionalism, with six Kano State Assembly members also defecting to the APC in April 2025, per Inquirer.ng.
Oluwole Oke’s defection from the PDP, meanwhile, aligns with a broader trend of PDP lawmakers switching sides, including recent defectors like Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu and Chris Nkwonta, per Sunday PUNCH.
Oke, a veteran lawmaker, had previously expressed frustration with the PDP’s leadership in Osun, per a May 5, 2025, Punch report.
Ganduje’s presence in the House, a rare show of party solidarity, highlighted the APC’s aggressive recruitment drive, with the party’s National Assembly seats now totaling 265, compared to 202 for opposition parties, per Sunday PUNCH.
Ganduje, a former Kano governor, has actively courted NNPP members, even publicly stating on May 7 that the APC would welcome Kwankwaso himself, per Punch Newspapers. The defections weaken the NNPP’s foothold in Kano, a Kwankwasiyya stronghold where the party won the 2023 governorship with 1.45 million votes, per INEC.
The PDP, already grappling with 16 House defections since July 2023, faces further erosion in Osun, where Governor Ademola Adeleke’s leadership has been challenged by APC gains, per Punch Newspapers.
Public reaction on X reflects mixed sentiments. Users like @Imranmuhdz and @DeeOneAyekooto celebrated the defections as a boost for the APC, with @abdullahayofel humorously declaring “Adieu NNPP.” However, @TheresaTekenah’s post relaying TheCable’s report noted the NNPP’s crisis without editorializing.
Critics, including political analyst Gbenga Ojo, argue that such defections undermine democracy, with the PDP vowing to sue defectors to reclaim mandates, per Vanguard News.
Kwankwaso, in a May 9 statement, called the defections “a gross betrayal,” per your earlier query, warning of political consequences.
The defections come amid Nigeria’s economic woes, with inflation at 34% and public distrust in governance, per Nairametrics.
The APC’s growing legislative grip, while strengthening President Bola Tinubu’s influence, risks accusations of drifting toward a one-party state, as Ganduje’s May 11 remark that a one-party system is “not wrong” sparked debate, per Sunday PUNCH.
For Nigeria, hosting the Rabat Process, these political shifts highlight the need for robust democratic checks, akin to global diplomatic efforts like the U.S.-brokered India-Pakistan ceasefire.
What you should know
Kabiru Usman and Abdullahi Sani’s defection from NNPP to APC in Kano, alongside Oluwole Oke’s switch from PDP in Osun, boosts the APC’s National Assembly majority to 265 seats.
Driven by NNPP’s internal crises and PDP’s weakening grip, the moves, witnessed by APC Chairman Ganduje, deepen concerns about opposition erosion and Nigeria’s democratic health.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM VERILY NEWS
