The partisan composition of the House of Representatives recorded another notable shift on Tuesday as party representation in the Green Chamber expanded to nine political parties, following fresh defections formally announced during plenary.
In the latest wave, thirty Honourable Members notified the House of changes in their political affiliation, citing leadership crises, factional disputes, and internal organisational challenges within their former parties. The development raises the cumulative number of recorded defections in the 10th Assembly to 121 Members since July 2024, when the current cross-carpeting cycle began, underscoring the increasingly fluid and competitive nature of party alignment within the House.
Significantly, the Action People’s Party (APP) emerged as the newest party to secure parliamentary representation in the 10th Assembly after receiving two Members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
Seats Gained by Parties (Since July 2024)
* All Progressives Congress (APC) – +97 seats
* African Democratic Congress (ADC) – +16 seats
* Accord Party (AP) – +3 seats
* Action Peoples Party (APP) – +2 seats
* Labour Party (LP) – +2 seats
* All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – +1 seat
Seats Lost by Parties (Since July 2024)
* Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – 74 seats
* Labour Party (LP) – 25 seats
* New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – 14 seats
* Young Progressives Party (YPP) −3 seats
* All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) −2 seats
* All Progressives Congress (APC) −2 seats
* African Democratic Congress (ADC) – 1 seat
With this realignment, the House now comprises:
Majority Caucus
* All Progressives Congress (APC)
Minority Caucus
* Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
* African Democratic Congress (ADC)
* New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
* All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
* Labour Party (LP)
* Social Democratic Party (SDP)
* Accord Party (AP)
* Action Peoples Party (APP)
This configuration represents one of the most politically diverse parliament since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, reflecting expanding multiparty participation alongside continuing internal realignments within the national political landscape.
Key Institutional Insights
* Tuesday marked the first outward movement of Members from the Majority Caucus to opposition parties since 2024.
* The PDP continues to account for the largest cumulative share of defections, reflecting sustained internal party restructuring nationwide.
* The Labour Party gained new Members for the first time since the current wave of defections began.
* The Social Democratic Party (SDP) remains the only party in the 10th Assembly yet to record a defection loss
* Approximately one in every three Members of the House has changed party affiliation during the life of the current Assembly.
* Since inauguration, the 10th Assembly has recorded representation from ten different political parties, though not simultaneously.
