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By Tracy Moses
The Nigeria Democratic Congress is rapidly emerging as a major force in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general election, following a wave of high-profile defections reshaping the balance of power in the House of Representatives.
Barely months ago, the party occupied the fringes of national politics. However, a series of defections by influential politicians and federal lawmakers dissatisfied with internal crises in their former parties has altered its political standing and strengthened its claim as a viable opposition platform.
The latest boost came with the defection of 17 members of the House of Representatives to the NDC, significantly increasing the party’s presence in the Green Chamber and raising the possibility that it could soon wrest the minority leadership from the Peoples Democratic Party.
The development follows the recent entry into the NDC of former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, alongside former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Their arrival has triggered fresh alignments across the opposition bloc, with loyalists of both the Labour Party and the Kwankwasiyya movement also gravitating toward the new platform.
Political observers say the movement reflects deeper dissatisfaction within existing opposition parties, especially the African Democratic Congress, which had recently positioned itself as a coalition platform expected to back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s anticipated 2027 presidential bid.
Several lawmakers believed to be aligned with Obi and Kwankwaso have now abandoned the ADC for the NDC, further weakening coalition efforts around the ADC while strengthening the NDC’s numerical advantage in parliament.
Inside the House of Representatives, the implications are becoming clearer.
With the PDP’s numbers reportedly dwindling to fewer than 30 lawmakers, and more defections expected in the coming weeks, the party risks losing its status as the largest opposition bloc in the chamber, a position that traditionally determines which party produces the Minority Leader.
The PDP’s situation could worsen when the National Assembly resumes plenary in June.
At least seven lawmakers from the Bauchi State caucus are expected to leave the party following the recent defection of Governor Bala Mohammed to the Allied Peoples Movement. The affected lawmakers are Mansur Soro, Aliyu Garu, Sani Tanko, Auwalu Gwalabe, Aliyu Misau, Hashimu Adamu and Muhammed Shehu, all elected on the PDP platform.
One of them, Mansur Soro, who represents the Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, has already formally resigned from the PDP, fuelling speculation that the remaining lawmakers may soon unveil their new political affiliations.
A member of the House who recently defected from the ADC to the NDC said the party was focused on consolidating the opposition rather than immediately contesting leadership positions, though he acknowledged that the minority leadership could eventually shift in the party’s favour.
Speaking with Pointblanews.com in confidence, the lawmaker said, “Yes, the opposition party with the highest number of seats often produces the House Minority Leader. It is not the time to start calculating, but once we realise we have the numbers, we will speak up. Presently, we are encouraging members to join the NDC to enable us fight the ruling party together so that, in 2027, we will have in place a government genuinely committed to the good of the land.
“When that happens, Nigeria will see, for the first time in recent history, the true place of the minority caucus in our parliament,” he said.
However, some lawmakers insist it is premature to conclude that the PDP has lost its grip on the minority caucus.
The Deputy Minority Whip of the House, George Ozodinobi, urged caution when asked about the possibility of the NDC displacing the PDP in the House hierarchy.
“This is too early to call,” he said.
Under House convention, principal opposition offices, including Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip, are usually allocated to the opposition party with the highest number of seats.
Should the NDC eventually surpass the PDP numerically, it would mark one of the most significant parliamentary realignments since the return to democratic rule in 1999 and could redefine opposition politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
Beyond the contest for leadership positions, the growing momentum around the NDC also signals a broader attempt by opposition figures to build a united platform capable of mounting a stronger challenge to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, whose dominance has continued to expand through defections at both the federal and state levels.