• Holds 243 seats, passes 2/3 bar as six Enugu, Plateau members switch
• PDP 74 seats; LP 21; NNPP 15; APGA 5; ADC 1; SDP 2; YPP 1
• Enugu lawmakers cite alignment with gov Mbah’s vision
• Mbah consolidates control in Enugu; Wike’s allies lose ground
• APC Youth Council rejects reported defection of gov Kefas to party
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has tightened its grip on the House of Representatives after six lawmakers defected, giving the ruling party a decisive two-thirds majority that allows it to push through key legislation and resolutions without depending on opposition support.
Five of the defectors are from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, while one member from Plateau State left the Labour Party (LP) for the APC.
The defections, announced during yesterday’s plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, increase the APC’s numerical strength in the 360-member chamber to 243.
With this figure, the ruling party now surpasses the two-thirds threshold of 240 members.
Following the new alignment, the PDP now holds 74 seats, the LP 21, the NNPP 15, the APGA five, the ADC one, the SDP two, and the YPP one.
At the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023, the APC had 175 members; the PDP, 118; the LP, 35; the NNPP, 19; the APGA, five; the ADC, two; the SDP, two; and the YPP, one, while three seats were vacant. At the time, the combined opposition strength of 182 outweighed the ruling party’s 175.
However, a series of defections has since shifted the balance of power in favour of the APC, as lawmakers reposition themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Enugu lawmakers who defected are Nnolim John Nnaji (Nkanu East/Nkanu West), Anayo Onwuegbu (Aninri/Awgu/Oji River), Oke Martins (Igbo Etiti/Uzo Uwani), Obetta Mark Chidiebere (Nsukka/Igboeze South), and Dennis Nnamdi Agbo (Igbo-Eze North/Udenu).
They were joined by Daniel Asama, who represents the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State.
Speaking on behalf of the Enugu caucus after plenary, Nnolim Nnaji said the decision was driven by their collective resolve to align with the state governor, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, whom he described as a visionary leader transforming Enugu and integrating it into the national development agenda.
He lamented that for too long, Enugu State had remained in opposition, watching from the sidelines as others shaped the nation’s destiny.
According to Nnaji, that era is over, as the lawmakers have refused to remain spectators when they can be key players in Nigeria’s progress.
The lawmakers pledged to support Governor Mbah, whom they described as a visionary leader whose strides in education, aviation, technology, and security have turned Enugu into a reference point for good governance.
They added that their defection would connect their constituencies to the centre of national development, bringing more projects, jobs, and infrastructure to the people.
They said: “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! We refuse to remain spectators when we can be key players in Nigeria’s progress.
“By aligning with the APC, the party steering national transformation, we are connecting our constituency to the heartbeat of national development. This alignment will bring more projects, more jobs, better infrastructure, and greater empowerment for our youths, women, and communities.
“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.
“We salute our Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, for his courage, foresight, and leadership. He has shown us that true progress demands bold choices.”
Nnaji said the lawmakers had decided to team up with the governor, who, through his transformational leadership, has changed the face of Enugu State in just two years.
According to him, under Governor Mbah, Enugu State has become a reference point for good leadership.
“We therefore commend Governor Mbah for his developmental exploits in education, aviation, science, and information technology, and indeed all areas of human endeavour. Today, there is security of lives and property, and investors are flooding into Enugu State to take advantage of the fertile environment provided by Governor Mbah.
“Together with him, we are saying yes to a new chapter of unity, opportunity, and growth for Enugu State.
“To our brothers and sisters who have walked this journey with us: thank you. To our colleagues and supporters across party lines, let us unite in purpose. Politics should never divide us; it should empower us to serve our people better.
“As your representatives, we remain your voice, your advocates, and your servants in the National Assembly. We will continue to defend your interests, attract development, and ensure that every corner of Enugu State feels the impact of good governance.
“Today, we open the gates of a new dawn: a dawn of hope, inclusion, and prosperity; a dawn where Enugu State takes her rightful place in the story of Nigeria’s progress. Let us rise together, believe together, and build together, for the best days of our people are not behind us… they are just beginning,” they said.
Also reacting, the Acting Publicity Secretary of the APC in Plateau State, Shittu Bamaiyi, said the lawmaker’s action had endeared the President to his constituents, leaving him with no option but to join the APC to ensure greater service delivery.
Bamaiyi stated that the APC was profoundly elated and encouraged by the influx of influential politicians who had continued to cross over to the party in Plateau State in recent times.
“This development, coupled with the fact that the State legislature is 99 per cent controlled by the APC, gives weight to the claim that the party is no longer in opposition in the State.
“More fulfilling and instructive is the fact that, since the election of Prof Nentawe Yilwatda as the National Chairman of the APC, there has been a major shift in the political calculations in favour of the party in the State,” Bamaiyi said in a statement yesterday.
While welcoming Asama to the party, he added that there were strong indications that four members of the State Executive Council, whose identities remain undisclosed, would soon join the bandwagon.
Mbah consolidates control in Enugu as Wike’s allies lose ground
Barely a week after former Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, brokered reconciliation between the incumbent, Dr Peter Mbah, and the aggrieved former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Ugochukwu Agballah, Governor Mbah appears to have outmanoeuvred his predecessor.
Checks by The Guardian revealed that Ugwuanyi’s intervention had led to a 70–30 per cent sharing formula for slots ahead of the state congress, with Mbah expected to nominate five members and Agballah two.
However, sources said Mbah, wary of attempts by some opposition politicians to rebuild the weakened Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in preparation for the 2027 elections, warned members of the House of Representatives that failure to join him in the APC would mark them out as political detractors.
Although Ugwuanyi attended the official ceremony at Michael Okpara Square on October 14, when Mbah formally defected to the APC, he did not announce his own defection and is believed to have remained in the camp of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Soon after Mbah’s defection, Ugwuanyi’s former Special Adviser on Political Matters, Steve Oruruo, emerged as acting state chairman of the PDP and became the arrowhead of efforts to revive the party under the banner of “the Boys from Akpugo”, a political group made up of former appointees of ex-governor Chimaroke Nnamani.
The quiet power struggle between Mbah and his predecessor, who is said to be lobbying through Wike for a ministerial position, came to a head with the mass defection of federal lawmakers from Enugu State to the APC yesterday.
An aide to one of the defecting lawmakers told The Guardian that the legislators were eager to take advantage of offers of automatic tickets within the APC ahead of the next election cycle.
One of the two Labour Party senators, Kelvin Chukwu, who had earlier joined the APC, is reportedly out of contention for re-election due to a power rotation arrangement, which reserves the next Enugu East senatorial slot for Isiuzo Local Council.
It was further learnt that elected officials who fail to defect before the state congress would lose any special consideration in the formation of ward and local government delegates.
At the time of filing this report, the acting state chairman of the PDP, Steve Oruruo, neither took calls nor responded to WhatsApp messages.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, was said to be displeased with Agballah’s rapprochement with Governor Mbah.
Both Nnaji and Oruruo hail from Akpugo community in Nkanu West Local Council.
APC Youth Council rejects reported defection of Taraba governor to party
The All Progressives Congress Youth Council, Taraba State Chapter, has rejected the reported defection of Governor Agbu Kefas to the ruling party, describing the move as “unacceptable” and inconsistent with the APC’s core values.
In a statement issued yesterday in Jalingo, the council said youth leaders from across the state had convened and unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in Governor Kefas, asserting that his political ideology and leadership style do not align with the progressive principles of the APC.
“We, the youths of APC in Taraba State, unanimously reject the defection of Governor Agbu Kefas into our great party. He is not a progressive leader, and APC is not a party for his calibre. Our stand is clear: we are not in support of his coming,” said Bilyamin Musa, State Coordinator of the APC Youth Council.
The council accused Governor Kefas of lacking vision and capacity, alleging that his two years in office had not delivered meaningful development in Taraba State.
It also called on the national leadership of the APC to heed the concerns of Taraba youths and ensure the party remains a platform for visionary, disciplined and development-focused leaders.
Reaffirming their loyalty to the APC and to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the youths pledged to continue mobilising young people across the state in support of the party’s growth and success.
