El-Rufai, four other lawmakers defect as political realignments intensify ahead of 2027

By Mercy Aikoye

Fresh political realignments unfolded in the House of Representatives on Thursday as Hon. Bello El-Rufai formally defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Bello, son of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, announced his defection during plenary as the House resumed legislative activities after its break.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, formally read Bello El-Rufai’s defection letter on the floor, confirming his exit from the ruling party.

The lawmaker was not alone in the move, as three other members also switched political parties during the same sitting.

Two lawmakers from Kaduna State, Hon. Umar Ajilo and Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Richifa, both formerly of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also defected to the African Democratic Congress.

In a separate development, Hon. Kamilu Ado from Kano State dumped the ADC for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with his letter also read during plenary.

Similarly, Hon. Joshua Obika, who represents the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resigned from the APC and joined the NDC.

Speaker Tajudeen read all the letters of defection before members, formally placing the changes on the official record of the House.

According to the lawmakers, their decisions were largely influenced by internal crises, leadership uncertainties, and unresolved challenges within their former political parties.

“The defected members cited internal crises and uncertainty in their former parties as reasons for their decisions,” the Speaker noted while reading the letters.

The latest defections are widely seen as part of an emerging wave of political repositioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.

With lawmakers from Kaduna, Kano, and the FCT now spread across multiple political platforms, analysts say the changes could significantly alter party strength and alliances within the 10th National Assembly.

Speaker Tajudeen acknowledged the shifts and noted that necessary adjustments would be made to reflect the new party composition in the House.

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