Less than two years into the 10th National Assembly, Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is significantly increasing its power in both the Senate and the House of Representatives due to a steady stream of politicians leaving opposition parties to join their ranks.
The APC now holds 68 seats in the Senate and around 207 in the House, a notable jump from their initial numbers when the current legislative session began in June 2023. This number is set to grow further, with Senator Neda Imasuen of the Labour Party, representing Edo South, expected to formally join the APC on June 12. There's also talk that Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu of Nasarawa West, who recently left the Social Democratic Party (SDP), might rejoin the APC, potentially boosting their Senate count to 70.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which initially had a stronger presence and was almost even with the APC in the Senate, has seen its numbers shrink considerably. When this Assembly started, the Senate had 59 APC members, 36 from the PDP, eight from the Labour Party, and others from smaller parties. Now, after many defections, the Senate numbers are: APC – 68; PDP – 30; LP – 5; SDP – 2; NNPP – 1; APGA – 1; with two seats currently empty in Edo and Anambra.
In the House of Representatives, the APC started with 175 seats, while all other parties combined held 182. This balance has swung heavily in favor of the APC, which now has about 207 seats, while the PDP and other opposition parties have collectively dropped to around 150 seats.
The shift in the Senate has been marked by several high-profile defections. These include Senator Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto South, PDP) in March 2024; Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP, Anambra South) in October 2023; Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North, PDP) in February 2025; Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi (Imo East, LP) in July 2024; and Senator Kawu Sumaila (Kano South, NNPP) in May 2025. Recently, three senators from Kebbi—Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki—switched from the PDP to the APC after meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
In the House of Representatives, defections have been happening in waves. It began with Hon. Idris Salman (Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu, Kogi) who moved from the ADC to the APC in July 2024, and this trend continued to pick up speed. Notable PDP members who have crossed over include Hon. Chris Nkwonta (Abia), Hon. Sulaiman Abubakar (Zamfara), Hon. Amos Magaji (Kaduna), Hon. Garba Koko (Kebbi), Hon. Jallo Hussaini Mohammed (Kaduna), Hon. Adamu Tanko (Niger), and Hon. Oluwole Oke (Osun).
The Labour Party, which performed well in the 2023 elections, has also seen many members leave. On December 5, 2024, four LP lawmakers moved to the APC, followed by others like Hon. Alfred Ajang (Plateau), Hon. Obetta Chidi and Hon. Dennis Agbo (Enugu), and most recently Hon. Sunday Umeha (Enugu) on May 22, 2025.
In Delta State, the defection of six PDP lawmakers to the APC on May 6 followed the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, making the same move, showing how state-level politics can influence the national legislature. On the same day, two LP lawmakers from Enugu moved to the PDP, showing the shifting loyalties within the opposition.
The NNPP has also lost members, with Hon. Kabiru Usman and Hon. Abdullahi Sani joining the APC on May 15. On that same day, the PDP’s numbers decreased further when Hon. Oluwole Oke from Osun defected.
Many observers believe more shifts are likely when the National Assembly returns from its break, especially in Akwa Ibom, where Governor Umo Eno’s recent defection from the PDP could lead to federal lawmakers from that state also switching parties. Akwa Ibom currently has two PDP senators and seven PDP House members.
