A wave of defections has hit the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the National Assembly as no fewer than 20 federal lawmakers dumped the party during plenary yesterday.
The lawmakers cited internal crises and "unending litigation" within the ADC for their actions.
The legislators are mainly aligned with former presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who both dumped the ADC for the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday.
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The development comes days before the May 10 deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to submit their membership registers ahead of the 2027 general election, with more defections expected in the coming days.
In the House of Representatives, 18 ADC lawmakers dumped the party, citing the same issues.
Seventeen of the legislators moved to NDC, while one defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise, Leke Abejide, was the lone defector to the APC.
Those who joined the NDC were Yusuf Umar Datti (Kano), Uchenna Harrison Okonkwo (Anambra), Sani Adamu Wakil (Kano), Thaddius Attah Achef (Lagos), George Ozodinobi (Anambra), Obiageli Lilian Orogbu (Anambra) and Oluwaseun Sowumi (Lagos).
Others include Peter Aniekwe (Anambra), Mukthar Umar Zakari (Kano), George Oluwande (Lagos), Murphy Omoruyi (Edo), Munachin Alozie (Abia), Emeka Idu (Anambra), Jessy-Okey Onuakalusi (Lagos), Peter Uzokwe (Anambra), Victor Afam Ogene (Anambra) and Abdulhakeem Kamilu Ado (Kano).
During plenary, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over proceedings, jokingly advised the lawmakers to remain consistent, noting that several of them had only recently joined the ADC from other parties in April.
With this latest development, the ADC is now left with just six members in the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, three senators - Rufai Hanga (Kano Central), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) and Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) - announced their defections, also citing persistent leadership crises and internal disputes.
While Abaribe left the ADC for the Labour Party (LP), Hanga left the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the NDC, while Umeh left the ADC for the NDC.
The defections were formally communicated through letters read on the floor of the Senate by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary yesterday.
In his letter, Umeh said his decision followed extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including his family, constituents and political allies.
He attributed his exit to unresolved internal divisions within the party.
"I have taken this decision after wide consultations with my family, my constituents and supporters in view of the lingering divisions in the leadership and unending litigations in the African Democratic Congress," Umeh added.
Despite the move, he reaffirmed his commitment to national development, noting that he would continue to serve through his new political platform.
Similarly, Abaribe announced his resignation from the ADC, declaring that his decision took immediate effect.
"My decision to resign my membership of the African Democratic Congress is effective immediately. Accordingly, I have joined the Labour Party," he said.
Abaribe linked his defection to what he described as a deepening leadership crisis within the party.
"My decision is anchored on the now well-known leadership crisis within the ADC, occasioned by multiple legal issues besetting the party," he explained.
Dead Party?
Senate President Godswill Akpabio's reaction to the defections sparked responses in the Red Chamber after he joked that the ADC was "dead" following a fresh wave of defections of lawmakers from the party.
Akpabio made the remark at plenary shortly after announcing Abaribe and Umeh's defections.
"Maybe all those defecting from ADC should just compile everything in one paper and bring it, so that we don't keep announcing, announcing, announcing.
Because I think ADC is dead," Akpabio said, drawing reactions in the Red Chamber.
In a lighter tone, he questioned the frequency of defections by lawmakers, joking that some had changed parties multiple times within a short period.
"How many times can you defect in a month? Once. But some have done three times," he said.
He also proposed a more co-ordinated system for handling defections, suggesting lawmakers could submit joint notices instead of individual letters to avoid what he described as a "daily ritual" on the floor.
During the sitting, Akpabio read a defection letter from Enyinnaya Abaribe, noting his movement from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the ADC and eventually to the Labour Party.
"I think ADC is dead," Akpabio reiterated while reading Abaribe's letter of defection.
Reacting, however, to Akpabio's comments, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed the Senate President's claim, describing it as frivolous and flippant.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, Abdullahi said: "We don't respond to frivolous comments from a flippant person. If someone who deserves to be taken seriously says something, you would get a reaction from us."
We Won't Leave ADC for NDC - Akpanudoedehe
As a wave of defections hit the main opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Peter Obi and others migrating to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe has advised ADC supporters in Akwa Ibom State against joining the bandwagon.
The former APC Interim National Secretary said the resolution became necessary to prevent the ADC in the state from being destabilised and losing focus ahead of the crucial polls.
He, therefore, urged party members to sustain the vision and mission of holding the ruling APC to account.
Speaking in Uyo, the state capital, the former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) vowed to remain in the opposition ADC and appealed to party adherents to remain calm.
"We are united and focused. We joined the ADC on our own terms, and we remain confident and intact. Our members are solid, and everyone has the constitutional right to belong to any group they choose. None of our followers is leaving," he said.
Rhodes-Vivour Stays in ADC
Also, a former Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has reaffirmed his commitment to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), distancing himself from recent defections and realignments within Nigeria's opposition bloc.
In a statement issued on Tuesday to Lagos residents and ADC supporters, Rhodes-Vivour acknowledged the growing turbulence in opposition politics, noting that some members had chosen to pursue their ambitions on different political platforms.
His comments come in the wake of high-profile defections by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who recently joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Both leaders had urged their supporters to avoid legal disputes and4 instead focus on national development during their formal reception in Abuja ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reflecting on the moment, Rhodes-Vivour described Nigeria's political climate as a defining period marked by uncertainty and shifting alliances.
"We are living through a defining moment. Our politics is turbulent, the unity of the opposition is being tested, and for some, it has become necessary to forge different paths," he said, adding that he respects the decisions of those who have chosen to leave.
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Despite the high-level defections, he stressed that his loyalty remains firmly with the ADC, which he described as a platform he helped to build and strengthen.
"I want to make it clear that I am staying in the African Democratic Congress. It is the platform we have built, the ground we have fought on, and the vehicle that can take us to victory," he stated, noting that his decision is rooted in conviction rather than political convenience.
Rhodes-Vivour further emphasised the need for organisation and grassroots strength in Nigeria's political process, particularly in safeguarding electoral mandates from polling units to collation centres.
He noted that efforts to sustain opposition structures in Lagos have continued since the 2023 elections, with a focus on ward-level mobilisation and co-ordination across local government areas.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos State governorship election under the Labour Party, mounted a strong campaign that attracted significant youth support but ultimately lost to incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC.
NDC Yet to Lead Minority Caucus
Despite the latest defections, the NDC has yet to assume the leading opposition platform in the National Assembly.
As of yesterday, the APC had 89 seats in the Senate, while the ADC had seven. The PDP had four seats, the NDC had three seats, APGA had one seat, the NNPP had none, while Accord and the Labour Party had one each.
Three seats are vacant following the deaths of Senators Godiya Akwashiki, Barinada Mpigi and Okechukwu Ezea, while Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has assumed the role of Nigeria's Permanent Representative and Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the United Nations (UN).
In the House of Representatives, the PDP has 29 members, while the NDC has 17 seats after the latest defections into its fold yesterday.
