Six members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The lawmakers are Robinson Dekor, Solomon Bob, Cyril Hart, Victor Obuzor, Blessing Amadi, and Felix Nwaeke, all of whom were elected on the PDP platform.

Announcing their defection on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said the legislators cited internal divisions and an unresolved political crisis within the PDP as reasons for their decision.

In their separate letters, the lawmakers noted that the lingering crisis in the opposition party had made it difficult for them to effectively pursue their political goals.

They also pledged their support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Following the latest defections, the PDP’s representation in the Rivers State caucus of the House has dropped from 12 to just two members.

The development comes barely a week after three other Rivers lawmakers; Boniface Emerengwa, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, and Boma Goodhead also defected to the APC.

The remaining PDP lawmakers from Rivers State are the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and Kelechi Nwogu.

Similarly, two senators from Rivers State, Allwell Onyesoh and Barinada Mpigi, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The senators announced their defections separately during plenary sessions of the Senate, citing deep-seated divisions within the PDP and the necessity of aligning with the Federal Government to better serve their constituents.

Their defection took place in the presence of senior APC leaders from both the national and state levels, underscoring the political significance of the move.

Speaking during plenary, Onyesoh, who represents the Rivers East Senatorial District, said his decision followed extensive consultations with political leaders and stakeholders across his constituency. He explained that his loyalty was first and foremost to the people who elected him rather than to any political party.

He noted that while political parties serve as vehicles for political participation, recent developments had highlighted the importance of working with the centre to attract development and strengthen governance structures in Rivers East.

Onyesoh assured his constituents that his development agenda, particularly in the area of human capital development, would remain unchanged despite his switch in party affiliation.

Similarly, Mpigi, the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, anchored his defection on constitutional grounds, arguing that the PDP had become mired in unresolved leadership and factional disputes.

Citing Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, Mpigi said the persistent divisions within the PDP at the national, state, local government and ward levels had eroded party cohesion in Rivers State, making his continued membership untenable.

While expressing gratitude to the PDP for providing him the platform to enter the Senate, Mpigi said the party had failed to create a stable and functional environment for its elected officials.

Senior APC officials, including members of the party’s national leadership and the Rivers State chapter, formally received the defectors, describing the development as a major boost for the party in the South-South region ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled February 21, 2026, for the conduct of bye-elections in the Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State.

The decision was reached at an extraordinary meeting of the commission held on Monday in Abuja.

INEC also reviewed arrangements for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, which are expected to hold on the same date.

In a statement issued by the Chairman of the Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission said it had approved the timetable and schedule of activities for the Rivers bye-elections in accordance with its constitutional responsibilities.

INEC cited Section 116 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the commission to fix election dates and conduct bye-elections to fill vacancies arising in legislative houses.

According to the commission, the Ahoada East II seat became vacant following the resignation of its lawmaker, while the Khana II vacancy resulted from the death of the constituency’s representative.

INEC noted that the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly had formally notified the commission of both vacancies.

Under the approved timetable, notice of the elections will be published on January 22, 2026.

Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries, including the resolution of any disputes, between January 23 and January 27.

Campaign activities will commence on February 8 and end on February 19, ahead of the bye-elections scheduled for February 21.

INEC has rejected a request to recognise the national working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kabiru Turaki, citing subsisting court judgements restraining it from doing so.

In a letter dated December 22, 2025, and signed by its Secretary, Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the commission said it was legally bound to obey final court judgements which expressly barred it from recognising or giving effect to the outcome of the PDP’s National Convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025.

The letter, addressed to Akintayo Balogun and Co., legal representatives of the PDP, stated that INEC could not publish or update the list of national officers purportedly elected at the Ibadan convention due to existing judicial orders.

INEC explained that the request followed several letters written by different PDP legal representatives between November 14 and November 21, 2025, all demanding recognition of the officers said to have emerged from the convention.

The Turaki-led NWC enjoys the backing of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed. With their support, the PDP held a national convention in Ibadan in November, producing a new set of national officers.

However, the convention was preceded by conflicting court rulings.

While some Federal High Court judgements in Abuja halted the exercise over alleged breaches of party constitution and electoral laws, a High Court in Oyo State cleared the PDP to proceed and directed INEC to monitor the convention.

Opponents of the exercise, led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, later formed a parallel national working committee, board of trustees and national executive committee.

INEC said it carefully reviewed the demands for recognition against existing laws and court decisions, stressing that two final judgements of the Federal High Court in Abuja were central to its decision.

These include Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025 delivered on October 31, 2025, and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2299/2025 delivered on November 14, 2025.

According to the commission, both judgements expressly restrained INEC from supervising, recognising or giving effect to the outcome of the PDP convention.

Although notices of appeal have been filed against the judgements, INEC noted that the filing of an appeal does not amount to a stay of execution.

“Until the judgements are set aside or stayed by a competent court, the commission remains bound to obey and give full effect to them in line with Section 287(3) of the Constitution,” the letter stated.

INEC also addressed an interim order issued by the Oyo State High Court, noting that it had been struck out of the suit for want of jurisdiction and that an interim order could not override subsisting final judgements.

The commission further disclosed that the PDP had filed another suit seeking an order mandating INEC to recognise the NWC elected at the Ibadan convention, adding that the existence of pending suits and appeals made the request for recognition prejudicial.

INEC said it had communicated the same position to PDP representatives during a meeting held on December 19, 2025.

Grammy-nominated Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has announced plans to formally join the Accord Party, following the recent defection of his uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Davido disclosed on Tuesday via his social media platforms that he would visit Osun State to collect his Accord Party membership card at the Government House in Osogbo.

“I will be live in Osun to pick up my @AccordPartyNG membership card at Imole House, Osogbo tomorrow,” the singer wrote, tagging the governor in the post.

The announcement comes amid significant political realignments in Osun State after Governor Adeleke officially dumped the PDP for the Accord Party.

The governor publicly declared his defection on December 9, 2025, at the Banquet Hall of the Osun State Government House, in the presence of national and state leaders of the party.

At the event, Adeleke also announced his intention to seek re-election for a second term on the platform of the Accord Party ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

According to the governor, he formally joined the Accord Party on November 6, following extensive consultations with political stakeholders and opinion leaders across the state.

He explained that the decision was driven by the need to pursue continuity in governance and complete ongoing development initiatives, noting that the party’s welfarist philosophy aligns with his administration’s focus on citizens’ welfare.

Adeleke assured party leaders and supporters that the Accord Party would provide a united front for inclusive governance and electoral success in 2026, describing it as the platform for continuity and victory.

The governor had earlier confirmed his resignation from the PDP on December 1, attributing his exit to prolonged leadership crises at the party’s national level.

He said his resignation letter was submitted to party officials in his ward in Ede North Local Government Area on November 4.

Davido had previously reacted to his uncle’s resignation from the PDP by reposting the announcement on social media with the caption, “Jeje…”.

The Action Democratic Party has faulted alleged post-passage alterations to Nigeria’s Tax Act 2025, rejecting claims that the changes resulted from a printer’s error and describing the controversy as a serious breach of constitutional governance.

Addressing a State of the Nation briefing in Abuja, the party’s National Chairman, Yabagi Yusuf Sani, said any modification of an Act of Parliament outside legislative procedure undermines democratic accountability and the authority of the National Assembly.

He argued that laws can only be amended through due process, warning that inserting clauses after passage amounts to an abuse of power rather than reform.

According to him, if government has concerns about any aspect of the law, it must return to Parliament to seek amendments rather than alter an already enacted statute.

Sani noted that while Nigeria requires improved tax administration, reforms must be transparent and sensitive to the realities of citizens.

He said policies that shift the tax burden from the poor to the wealthy and provide targeted incentives could boost growth, but only if implemented within the bounds of the law and public trust.

The ADP chairman also criticised the broader economic situation, saying living conditions have deteriorated since the introduction of major policy changes by the current administration in 2023.

He cited rising inflation, worsening food prices and declining household incomes, noting that low-income earners now spend the bulk of their earnings on food.

He added that many small and medium-sized businesses are closing due to high operating costs, while slow release of capital funds has stalled infrastructure projects and contributed to unemployment.

On political inclusion, Sani drew attention to Nigeria’s low level of women’s representation in governance, describing it as one of the poorest globally.

He said women constitute nearly half of the population but occupy less than four per cent of seats in the National Assembly.

He therefore called for constitutional reforms to introduce reserved legislative seats for women, arguing that affirmative measures have helped other democracies address long-standing exclusion.

Sani further warned that rising youth unemployment, increased migration, shrinking civic space and frequent protests signal deep strain on Nigeria’s democracy.

He maintained that labour unrest and public demonstrations should be treated as signs of governance failure rather than security threats.

He concluded by urging a comprehensive national reset built on accountability, inclusive democracy, disciplined public finance and effective social protection, insisting that the country needs competent and transparent leadership rather than excuses.

According to him, the handling of the tax controversy will be a major test of the government’s commitment to transparency, the rule of law and democratic norms.