On the surface, the script appears familiar: declarations, defections, and a steady migration to the centre of power. It is the familiar rhythm of the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) broom sweeping, and many are following the ruling party.
But beyond the grand celebrations that accompany these defections, a quieter, less predictable movement is brewing. A handful of politicians are choosing a different path. This time, it is not towards the ruling party, but away from it and aligning with other parties.
In the North-West, as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) flag was lowered at the Zamfara State Government House, the state embraced the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But for Wadatau Madawaki, the state’s ex-commissioner for education, science, and technology, the defection was a cue to leave.
He handed in his resignation as a commissioner and pledged his loyalty to the PDP.
“I only resigned because the governor is joining the APC. I’m a PDP member; I’ve never been an APC, and I’m not ready to be an APC member,” Madawaki told Channels Television.
The former commissioner denied being coerced into resigning.
“The governor has never forced anyone to resign. Even during the stakeholders’ meeting, he said that nobody will be forced to join the party. I only resigned because I think it is an honourable thing to do,” he said.
For Madawaki, his decision was about staying true to a platform, and it is a reflection of a similar episode playing out in other parts of the country.
Down in the South-East, it is a familiar story. Leading the charge is Peter Obi, who this month registered officially as a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, registered at his ward in his hometown in Agulu, in Anaocha LGA of Anambra State.
At the event, the former Anambra State governor said the 2027 election is not about parties.
“The next election will not be about political parties; it will be a case of Nigerians against bad leadership,” the ADC chieftain told the press.
Although Obi’s move came months after he joined the ADC and was viewed from a national lens, the former deputy governor of Imo State, Eze Madumere, has severed ties with the APC.
His resignation ends years of association with the APC, which has been in power at the national level since 2015.
In his resignation letter addressed to the APC chairman of Ezinihitte Ward, Mbiere Mbaitoli Local Government Area, of Imo, Madumere said his decision takes immediate effect.
He said it came after a “deep personal reflection” on his journey within the party.
“The decision, though difficult, has become necessary after a deep personal reflection on my political journey with the party. I sincerely feel it is time for me to explore new paths,” the ex-deputy governor said in the letter while reflecting on his journey with the APC.
“It is my utmost desire and expectation that we all continue to maintain the cordial relationship that we have built over the years in our collective desire to build a better Nigeria.”
A similar undercurrent is passing through the National Assembly. In one move, which realigned the power structure in the Red Chamber, nine senators left their parties and joined the ADC.
The lawmakers, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South), Binos Dauda Yaroe (Adamawa South), Austin Akobundu (Abia Central), and Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna Central) joined the ADC from PDP.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read one of the letters announcing their defection to the ADC, with the crisis in the PDP cited as the reason for the move.
“The persistent internal crisis, leadership disagreements, litigations, and divisions within the party at various levels have made it increasingly difficult for me to continue my active participation and commitment as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“The ongoing conflicts have unfortunately weakened the unity and direction that once defined the party. Please accept this letter as a formal notice of my defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the African Democratic Congress,” the letter read.
There were also lawmakers in the House of Representatives who joined the ADC earlier in the month.
Reps. Afam Ogene (LP-Anambra), Peter Aniekwe (YPP-Anambra), and Lilian Orogbu (LP-Anambra) moved to the ADC.
For former vice president Atiku Abubakar, the defection of the lawmakers, particularly the senators, is “not for personal gain, but in the interest of Nigeria’s democracy”.
Atiku hailed them for being courageous.
At a time when many are being coerced into the ruling party, their decision to stand with the opposition is a powerful statement of courage, conviction, and commitment to national interest,” he said on his social media pages.
“Democracy without credible opposition is democracy in name only,” the ADC chieftain said, adding that “their presence strengthens our collective voice for accountability, good governance, and the future Nigerians deserve.”
Although the politicians claim their defections are meant to help in rescuing the country, some observers say the realignments are offshoots of some political permutations.
According to a public affairs analyst, Dayo Akintobi, the movement into the ADC is a direct impact of the crumbling of the PDP, which has, in the last 10 years, been traditionally seen as the opposition leader.
“The timing of the ADC is very good because they are gaining from the implosion of the PDP,” Akintobi said on an edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
“The PDP is a sinking ship, and the rats are all running away. They are looking for a comfortable place, at least where they can aspire to an office.”
He believes that the ADC, “without a doubt”, is learning from President Tinubu’s playbook.
As the 2027 election draws closer, the new wave of defections suggests a rare break from the traditional scramble into the ruling party.
Nigerians await seeing what they have to offer.