Several members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives defect from their parties on Thursday, with the son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai among those changing affiliations. Multiple reports say Muhammed Bello El-Rufai moves from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Other defecting lawmakers also leave the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ADC, as political realignments continue ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the House, the Speaker, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, reads the letters of defection at the resumption of plenary, according to the reports. Across the outlets, the total number of lawmakers named as defecting is five: El-Rufai’s son plus four other representatives. The ADC and NDC are described as the main destination parties for the defectors, which, depending on the final tally and seat distribution, could affect party balance in the lower chamber.
