Four members of the House of Representatives from Bauchi State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Allied Peoples Movement, deepening the wave of political realignments in the National Assembly ahead of the 2027 general election.
The defections were announced during Thursday’s plenary after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read letters from the lawmakers notifying the House of their decision to leave the PDP.
The lawmakers are Muhammad Shehu, representing Zaki Federal Constituency; Aliyu Garu, representing Bauchi Federal Constituency; Sani Tanko, representing Shira/Giade Federal Constituency; and Mansur Soro, representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency.
Also changing political allegiance was Jeremiah Umaru, who represents Akwanga/Nasarawa Eggon/Wamba Federal Constituency of Nasarawa State.
Umaru defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the Social Democratic Party.
The Bauchi lawmakers cited internal party squabbles and the need to provide effective representation for their constituents among the reasons for their decisions.
Their movement is the latest in a series of defections that have rocked the Green Chamber in recent weeks as lawmakers reposition themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
On Tuesday, eight lawmakers announced their defection from the PDP to the APM, while three others moved from the APC to the PDP and the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The trend continued on Wednesday when three APC lawmakers left the ruling party for the Peoples Redemption Party and the African Democratic Congress.
The latest defections are particularly significant for Bauchi, where the political landscape has undergone a major shift in recent months.
Governor Bala Mohammed, who was formerly a senior figure in the PDP and chairman of the party’s Governors’ Forum, defected to the APM in May. He has since emerged as the APM’s candidate for the Bauchi South senatorial seat in the 2027 election.
The development has strengthened the APM’s presence in the state and created a new political platform around the governor ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The party has also expanded its national profile through Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who has adopted the APM platform for his 2027 presidential bid.
Makinde emerged as the APM presidential candidate in May, giving the party a high-profile candidate and a broader national political agenda.
For the PDP, the departure of four House members from Bauchi represents another challenge at a time when the opposition party is battling internal disagreements and trying to rebuild its political structure after the 2023 elections.
For the APM, the influx of serving lawmakers offers an opportunity to build legislative strength and expand its footprint beyond its traditional areas of influence.
Party defections are not new in Nigeria’s political system, particularly in the period preceding general elections. Lawmakers often cite internal party crises, disputes over nominations, leadership disagreements and the desire to secure better political platforms as reasons for changing allegiance.
But the latest sequence has attracted attention because of the number of lawmakers involved and the speed with which the movements are occurring.
With 2027 approaching, political parties are already working to strengthen their structures, secure influential politicians and position themselves for the next electoral contest.
The latest developments suggest that the battle for political influence in the House of Representatives is already well underway.
