Mass defections shake House of Representatives as lawmakers realign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday witnessed a fresh wave of defections as six lawmakers from Oyo State formally left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Action People’s Movement (APM), while Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defections were announced during plenary by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas following the resumption of the House after the Sallah break. According to letters read on the floor, Anthony Adebayo Adepoju (Ibarapa North), Adedeji Stanley Olajide (Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West), Makanjuola Sunday Ojo (Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere), Najimdeen Oyeshina Oyedeji (Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa), Folajimi Oyekunle (Ibadan North), and Abass Adekunle Adigun (Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East) all dumped the PDP for the APM.
The development comes weeks after Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde joined the APM and was subsequently ratified as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election. Meanwhile, Speaker Abbas also announced the defection of Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda from the PDP to the APC through a letter dated April 23, 2026.
Following the announcement, Chinda resigned his position as Minority Leader of the House. Chinda, a close ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, recently secured the APC governorship ticket for Rivers State, further highlighting the growing political realignments ahead of the next general elections.