Two lawmakers in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Musa Gude (Uke/Karshi) and Onarigu Kana (Udege/Loko), have defected from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaker of the House, Dr. Danladi Jatau, announced the development during plenary on Monday in Lafia.
Jatau commended the lawmakers for their “wise decision” to join the ruling party and urged the APC leadership in the state to grant them automatic tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I want to appeal to the State APC to give the lawmakers a soft landing via an automatic ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The Speaker noted that their defection was influenced by the developmental strides of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Also speaking, Mr. Yarius Dagusa, APC State Secretary, described the move as a welcome development and assured the defectors of equal privileges and fair treatment in the party. He, however, cautioned party aspirants against attacking one another on social media.
In their reactions, Gude and Kana said their decision followed due consultations with their constituents and was inspired by Governor Sule’s performance. They expressed appreciation to the SDP for providing them the platform to win their elections, pledging continued commitment to effective representation and the progress of the APC.
On his part, the only remaining SDP lawmaker representing Lafia Central Constituency, Mr. Solomon Akwashiki, said the defectors had the right to switch parties based on personal conviction, while reaffirming his loyalty to the SDP.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the APC now controls 15 seats in the Assembly, the PDP has eight, and the SDP retains one.
