In a dramatic twist on Wednesday, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dealt a fresh setback to its chief rivals, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), as two serving members of the House of Representatives — Okolie Lawrence and Akingbaso Olanrewaju — formally abandoned their former platforms to join the governing party.
The twin defections, announced amid uproarious scenes at the National Assembly, have provoked outrage among opposition ranks and fuelled allegations of a burgeoning one-party state under President Bola Tinubu’s watch.
Lawrence, who captured the Aniocha North/Aniocha South/Oshimili North/Oshimili South federal constituency of Delta State under the LP banner in 2023, justified his volte-face by insisting that the APC could “bring governance closer” to his constituents.
He argued that alignment with the ruling party would unlock infrastructure projects and governmental responsiveness neglected under the LP’s tenuous position in the House.
Critics, however, slammed his rationale as opportunistic, accusing him of sacrificing party principles for political expediency.
Meanwhile, Olanrewaju, who until yesterday represented Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency of Ondo State on the PDP platform, cited a “lingering internal crisis” within his former party as the catalyst for his defection.
He proclaimed his embrace of the APC’s “ideology and Renewed Hope Agenda” — a thinly veiled nod to Tinubu’s flagship reform programme — promising to deliver on voters’ democratic aspirations.
Detractors counter that his departure merely underscores the PDP’s failure to resolve factional disputes that have plagued it since the 2023 general elections.
The twin announcements sparked an immediate eruption on the floor. Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda thundered a point of order, disputing Olanrewaju’s claim of crisis and decrying what he described as a “brazen assault on the pluralistic spirit” of Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, after briefly acknowledging the protest, pressed on with legislative business, prompting cries of outrage from opposition benches and accusations that the House leadership is complicit in an orchestrated purge of dissenting voices.
These defections form part of a disturbing trend: in recent months, a procession of lawmakers has abandoned opposition labels for the APC, swelling its ranks and undermining the checks and balances vital to Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
Political analysts warn that the drift not only weakens the opposition’s ability to hold the executive to account but also risks entrenching a de facto one-party state — a scenario antithetical to the competitive politics promised in the 2015 transition.
For the PDP and LP, already grappling with internal strife and waning public confidence, these high-profile exits represent more than mere numerical losses; they symbolise a crisis of cohesion and purpose.
The question now is whether the opposition can rally, heal rifts and present a credible alternative before the next electoral cycle, or whether the APC’s momentum will remain unchecked, heralding a new era of hegemonic rule in Abuja.
Additional reporting from Osaigbovo Okungbowa
