Son of El-Rufai, four other lawmakers defect from APC and PDP to join ADC and NDC in the House of Representatives

A fresh wave of defections swept through the House of Representatives on Thursday, as five lawmakers abandoned the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress and the African Democratic Congress, amid escalating political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Notable among the defectors was Muhammed El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency and defected from the APC to the NDC.

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This move is seen by political observers as a significant indicator of the widening rift between his father and the ruling party, with the younger El-Rufai's exit coming months after speculation over his political future due to his father's increasing criticism of President Bola Tinubu's administration.

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Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, announced the lawmakers' defections during plenary on Thursday, reading their letters of defection.

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Nasir El-Rufai, a former key ally of Tinubu and prominent APC figure, has openly accused the ruling party of abandoning internal democracy and sidelining loyal stakeholders in recent months.

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Joshua Obika, representing Abaji/Gwagwalada/Kuje/Kwali Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory, also defected from the APC to the NDC, marking his third political move since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly.

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Obika was initially elected on the Labour Party platform in 2023 before joining the APC in March 2026, and has now switched allegiance to the NDC.

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Meanwhile, Abdulhakeem Kamilu, representing Wudil/Garko Federal Constituency of Kano State, dumped the ADC for the NDC, citing unresolved leadership issues within the party.

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Kamilu was elected into the House on the New Nigeria Peoples Party platform before defecting to the ADC earlier this year, and has now made another move to the NDC.

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In a separate development, two lawmakers from Kaduna State, Suleiman Richifa and Umar Ajilo, defected from the PDP to the ADC, citing the lingering crisis within the PDP at both state and national levels.

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The latest defections occurred just days after 17 lawmakers reportedly aligned with the NDC, highlighting growing efforts by opposition politicians to build a coalition capable of challenging the APC in the 2027 elections.

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The development has further altered the political composition of the House, fuelling speculation that more defections may occur in the coming months as political consultations intensify ahead of the next election cycle.