Just In: APC Shrinks as 2 Federal Lawmakers Resign
- The APC has suffered a major setback as two members of the House of Representatives resigned their membership from the ruling party
- According to the defecting lawmakers, the reason for their defections was due to the internal rancour within the APC in their states
- The development in the APC was part of the growing political alignments and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has suffered another wave of defection in the House of Representatives as two federal lawmakers formally announced their resignation from the party, a development that underscored the growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development came less than 24 hours after the resumption of plenary at the National Assembly after the Sallah recess, a period when a number of political actors in the country have started coalition talks, consultations and strategic repositioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Source: Twitter
Bala dumps APC for PRP
Rabilu Bala, the lawmaker representing Jama’are/Itas-Gadau Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, defected from the APC to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) during the plenary on Wednesday, June 3.
Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, reads Bala's defection letter on the floor of the House, adding that the lawmaker attributed his decision to the continuous internal disagreements within the ruling party and the need for him to pursue his political ambition elsewhere in the interest of his constituents.
At the same time, the lawmaker representing the Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency of Adamawa State, Abubakar Zango, also resigned from the ruling party and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to Zango, his decision was based on his conscience and what he described as the larger national interest. He vowed to continue with the discharge of his legislative duties diligently and in line with democratic principles. He assured his constituents that he would never change in effective representation.
In the same vein, another federal lawmaker, Abdullahi, representing Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency of Gombe State, dumped the APC for the ADC.
Defection rocks APC ahead of 2027 elections
The development was part of the growing list of political movements that have gained momentum in recent times as politicians across party lines have started positioning themselves ahead of the next cycle of elections.
Although the ruling APC still has the majority of the lawmakers in the National Assembly under its umbrella, the recent defections have shown possible tension within some state chapters of the party, most especially on issues relating to succession calculation, internal democracy and leadership structure.
The PRP was one of the oldest political parties in Nigeria, and its roots can be traced to the political movement led by the late Mallam Aminu Kano. The party had recently sought to rebuild its presence in some parts of the north.
Source: Twitter
Former speaker resigns from APC
Legit.ng earlier reported that the APC suffered a major setback in Jigawa state after the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Idris Garba Kareka, resigned from the party and joined the PDP.
Kareka announced his official defection from the ruling party at a well-attended political rally, held in his Jahun town on Tuesday, June 2.
The Jigawa-born politician's defection came days after the former speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, also resigned from the APC.
Source: Legit.ng
