The ruling All Progressives Congress has significantly strengthened its control of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, now holding 243 seats after the defection of six opposition lawmakers.
This number gives the APC a commanding two-thirds majority in the chamber, a crucial threshold that allows the party to pass major legislation and approve constitutional amendments without needing opposition support.
The political shift occurred on Thursday when five members of the Enugu State caucus, previously with the Peoples Democratic Party, and one member from the Labour Party, formally crossed to the APC. This move has dramatically altered the balance of power in the Green Chamber.
With these defections, the main opposition PDP now holds only 72 seats. The Labour Party’s representation has been reduced to 21 members. Smaller parties, including the New Nigeria People’s Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, hold 15 and five seats respectively.
The development also means that all eight federal constituencies in Enugu State are now represented by the APC, a significant shift in a state previously dominated by opposition parties.
The defecting lawmakers, addressed by their spokesman Nnaji, stated their move was a strategic decision to align with the national ruling party and support the state governor, Peter Mbah. They argued that being part of the ruling party would bring more development projects, jobs, and empowerment to their constituents.
The event was witnessed by the Enugu State Governor and the APC National Chairman, highlighting the political importance of the defections for the party.
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