More than 150 members of Nigeria’s National Assembly have switched political parties since the 10th Assembly began in June 2023.
The largest share of those defections has gone to the ruling All Progressives Congress 9APC), which has emerged as the biggest winner from the shifting loyalties in both chambers.
Fresh data from the House of Representatives shows that 137 defections were recorded in the chamber between July 2024 and May 2026.
Sixteen of those defections happened in the two weeks before the National Assembly primaries, showing how fast the political realignment has accelerated.
The wave has sharply reduced the size of the opposition and given the APC a much firmer grip on the Green Chamber.
APC Widens Its Lead
The APC has gained 103 seats from defections since July 2024, pushing its strength in the 360-member House to about 282 lawmakers.
That gives the party a far stronger position than it had when the 10th Assembly opened after the 2023 general election.
At that time, the House still had a more balanced look, with the opposition holding enough numbers to challenge the executive in key debates and votes.
Now, that balance has largely disappeared.
The Peoples Democratic Party has suffered the deepest losses, with 82 seats lost to other parties over the same period.
The Labour Party, which rode on the momentum of Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, has lost 26 seats.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has lost 18 seats, while the Young Progressives Party has lost three.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has also lost two seats.
Latest Wave Of Switches
The most recent batch of 16 defections came from lawmakers across Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Lagos, Niger, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
That pattern shows the movement is not limited to one region but spread across the country.
In that round, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) gained the most, picking up eight lawmakers.
The APC gained five, although three of its members also left for parties in the Minority Bloc.
That makes clear the trend is not entirely one-way, even if the ruling party remains the biggest beneficiary.
The Senate has also felt the effect of the defections.
Its most dramatic moment came in March 2026, when nine senators left their parties for the African Democratic Congress at the same time.
The scale of the switching has changed the political map inside the legislature and weakened the ability of smaller opposition blocs to hold firm.
What began as individual moves has now become a full realignment, with the APC in the strongest position and the opposition forced to rebuild.
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