Nigeria’s opposition parties suffered a fresh setback in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers crossed party lines in a move that further reshapes the country’s political landscape ahead of future electoral contests.
The most significant development was the defection of House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ending his tenure as the leader of the opposition caucus in the lower chamber.
Chinda’s move was accompanied by a mass exodus of six lawmakers from Oyo State, who dumped the PDP for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), deepening concerns over the opposition party’s internal cohesion.
The lawmakers who left the PDP for the APM are Anthony Adebayo, Adedeji Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Fola Oyekunle and Adigun Adekunle. Also joining the APM from the PDP was Auwalu Gwalabe of Bauchi State.
In a separate development, Shehu Dalhatu of Katsina State left the APC for the PDP, while Labour Party lawmaker Etanabene Benedict of Delta State also joined the PDP.
The PDP further strengthened its ranks with the defection of Alex Egbona from the APC.
Meanwhile, Esosa Iyawe of Edo State left the APC for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), while Gbefwi Gaza of Nasarawa State switched from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Labour Party (LP).
The latest defections underscore the fluid nature of Nigeria’s political environment, with parties continuing to battle for influence and numerical strength within the National Assembly.
