Five governors and 18 senators are set to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in what is shaping up as a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to ADC, as circulated on its social media handles, the “mass exodus”, scheduled for January 14, 2026, at Eagle Square in Abuja, will see Labour Party’s Alex Otti of Abia State join Peoples Democratic Party governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) in crossing over to the ADC.
The party also claims that the defection also includes 18 senators and several members of the House of Representatives, though the exact number remains unclear at the time of filing this report. It is expected that this would also alter the power dynamics in the upper and lower legislative chambers.
The planned defection comes weeks after former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi decamped to the ADC, triggering speculation about a major political restructuring within opposition ranks.
Governor Otti’s decision to follow Obi to the ADC appears to signal a close political relationship between the Abia governor and the former Anambra governor who was a presidential candidate in the 2023 election which gave Otti the victory.
The involvement of four PDP governors represents a significant blow to the main opposition party, which has struggled with internal crises and factional disputes in recent months. Governors Makinde, Fintiri, Mohammed and Lawal have been prominent voices within the PDP, serving as members of the party’s powerful Governors Forum. This includes the recent battles with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike where the minister was expelled from the party.
Governor Makinde, who chairs the PDP Governors Forum, has been a key figure in efforts to reposition the party following its defeat in the 2023 presidential election. His defection, if it materialises, would leave the PDP in further disarray.
Similarly, Governors Mohammed of Bauchi and Fintiri of Adamawa have been influential northern governors within the PDP structure, whilst Lawal’s Zamfara State has been a battleground for political influence in the north-west zone.
As the January 14 date approaches, political watchers will be monitoring developments closely to see whether all the mentioned governors and lawmakers will indeed make the move, and what implications this mass defection might have for Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
