No fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives have defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

Their defections were announced on the floor of the House during plenary on Tuesday.

Also announced was the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Lawmakers who defected to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande, Munachim Umezuruike.

Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.

These defections further intensify the ongoing political alignments and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The defections of the lawmakers to NDC come two days after former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and his Kano State counterpart Musa Kwankwaso formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) from the ADC.

Obi, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), received the NDC membership cards on Sunday amid cheers from supporters, shortly after a closed-door meeting with leaders of the NDC.