7 House of Reps Members Dump PDP, LP, and NNPP in Tuesday’s Mass Defection; APC and ADC Gain Big as Opposition Ranks Crumble Ahead of 2027

The Nigerian political landscape witnessed its largest single-day shift in the 10th National Assembly on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, as 27 members of the House of Representatives formally cross-carpeted to the ruling APC and the rising ADC. The announcement, made during a rowdy plenary session in Abuja, “flipped the script” on the opposition’s attempt to form a unified “merger” front against the administration.

The “Solution” to their political futures, according to the defectors, lies in aligning with the Renewed Hope agenda. Representing various constituencies across the six geopolitical zones, the lawmakers argued that their former parties specifically the PDP and Labour Party have become “rudderless” and consumed by internal leadership battles. One prominent defector from the South-East noted that “the current political reality demands a move toward the center to ensure development reaches our people.”

The session was nearly derailed by points of order from the remaining opposition members, who argued that Section 68 of the Constitution forbids defection unless there is a clear “division” at the national level of a party. However, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas maintained that the House would not stand in the way of members’ freedom of association, especially given the documented court cases and factional disputes currently rocking the major opposition platforms.

This “Tuesday Tsunami” comes just weeks after the defection of eight senators to the ADC, highlighting a growing trend of lawmakers seeking new platforms as the 2027 election cycle begins to take shape. With the APC now controlling an overwhelming majority and the ADC emerging as a powerful “Third Force,” the remaining opposition leaders face an uphill battle to keep their caucuses intact before the next legislative year.