Six federal lawmakers and 22 members of the Delta State House of Assembly have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), signalling a significant power shift in both state and national politics.
The defections were formally announced on Tuesday during a plenary session presided over by House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who read the respective notices on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Among the federal lawmakers who switched allegiance are Victor Nwokolo, who represents Ika North East/Ika South in Delta; Julius Pondi, representing Burutu Federal Constituency; Thomas Ereyitomi, who represents Warri North/Warri South/Warri West; Nicholas Mutu, the long-serving member for Bomadi/Patani since 1999; Ukodhiko Jonathan of Isoko North/Isoko South; and Ezechi Nnamdi, a first-term lawmaker representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani.
Their defections coincide with the announcement that 22 lawmakers in the Delta State House of Assembly — including Speaker Emomotimi Guwor — have left the PDP for the APC. The state-level exodus follows the recent high-profile defections of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, both of whom also joined the APC.
The defectors cited long-standing internal conflicts and persistent divisions within their former parties, particularly the PDP and the Labour Party (LP), as their reasons for switching parties. According to them, these internal disputes have severely hindered their ability to fulfil campaign promises and serve their constituencies effectively.
Two LP lawmakers, Obetta Chidi, representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South in Enugu, and Dennis Agbo of Igbo-Eze North/Udenu, also defected to the PDP, adding to the series of party realignments currently underway in the National Assembly.
The surge in defections has shifted the political balance of power in the House, consolidating APC’s dominance. The pattern echoes similar moves in recent months. On 2 October, Chris Nkwonta from Abia left the PDP for the APC. On 30 October, Sulaiman Abubakar of Zamfara also joined the APC. By 5 December, five lawmakers — four from the LP and one from the PDP — had crossed over to the ruling party.
On 11 and 12 February, Amos Magaji from Kaduna and Garba Koko from Kebbi defected from the PDP. On 18 March, Jallo Mohammed of Kaduna and Adamu Tanko of Niger followed suit. Just over a week later, on 27 March, Clara Nnabuife, who represents Orumba North/South in Anambra, left the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), citing marginalisation from party activities.