Six opposition members of the House of Representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), making the ruling party to clinch 2/3 majority in the Green chamber.
The defections of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers from Enugu and one Labour Party member from Plateau State, has further increased the strength of the ruling party’s membership in the parliament, reports Daily Trust.
The 2/3 majority of the 360-member House of Representatives is 240.
With the latest defections, the membership of the APC now stands at 243 while the PDP has depleted to 74. The LP has 21; NNPP, 15, APGA, 5, ADC 1, SDP 2 and YPP 1.
At inception of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023, the membership of the House of Representatives was the APC,175; PDP, 118; LP, 35, NNPP;19, APGA, 5, ADC, 2, SDP, 2 and YPP 1 while 3 of the seats were vacant at the start.
Cumulatively, the opposition parties had 182 members which was higher than the ruling party’s 175 at the start.
However, the gale of defections in the House of Representatives have continued to deplete the ranks of the opposition political parties as members realign to position themselves for a re-election in 2027.
With the APC having 2/3 majority, the ruling party can take overriding decisions and pass resolutions even without the inputs of members of the opposition political parties given their strength.
The new defectors
The five Enugu lawmakers that defected include Hon. Nnolim John Nnaji (Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency), Rep. Anayo Onwuegbu (Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency), Rep. Oke Martins (Igbo Etiti/Uzo Uwani Federal Constituency), Rep.Obetta Mark Chidiebere (Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency), and Hon. Dennis Nnamdi Agbo (Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency).
They were joined by Hon. Daniel Asama, who represents Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency in Plateau State also announcing his defection from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC during plenary.
Announcing the move on behalf of the Enugu caucus, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji said the decision was guided by a collective resolve to align with Enugu State Governor, Peter Ndubisi Mbah, whom he described as a visionary leader committed to transforming the state and connecting it to the national development agenda.
“Today, we stand before you filled with joy, conviction, and purpose,” Nnaji declared. “With your blessing and in line with our collective decision to stand firmly with our visionary Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, we formally announce our defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
According to him, the defection marks “a bold step into the future,” aimed at repositioning Nkanu East and West and indeed the entire Enugu State for greater participation in national politics and governance.
“For too long, our dear Enugu State has remained in opposition, watching from the sidelines as others shaped the destiny of our nation and accessed opportunities that could have transformed our people’s lives. That era is over,” he said.
“We refuse to remain spectators when we can be key players in Nigeria’s progress,” he added.
Nnaji explained that joining the APC would enable the lawmakers to attract more federal presence, infrastructure projects, and youth empowerment initiatives to their constituencies.
He also commended Governor Mbah for his “courage, foresight, and leadership,” noting that his administration has inspired confidence and progress in Enugu State.
“This decision wasn’t made on impulse. It comes from deep reflection and a burning desire to see our people rise above limits and take their rightful place in the national spotlight,” he said.
He called for unity across political divides, stressing that politics should be a tool for service, not division.
