By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Katsina
KATSINA: In what appears to be a calculated political consolidation, three members of the House of Representatives from Katsina State on Thursday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a move witnessed by Governor Dikko Umar Radda inside the National Assembly chamber.
The lawmakers—Balarabe Dabai (Bakori/Danja), Iliyasu Abubakar (Batsari/Safana/Dan-Musa), and Salisu Yusuf (Mashi/Dutsi)—formally announced their defection through separate letters read by Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, during plenary.
Governor Radda, who arrived the chamber at about 11:10 am, was received with warm applause from members of the APC caucus. His presence underscored the political significance of the defections, as he later led the defectors to exchange handshakes with the Speaker before exiting the chamber.
The defection is part of a wider trend that has seen the ruling party absorb lawmakers from opposition parties. Earlier this week, six PDP lawmakers from Delta State defected to the APC, while two Labour Party (LP) lawmakers from Enugu State switched allegiance to the PDP.
Reacting to the development, a senior APC lawmaker who did not want to be named described the wave of defections as “a clear vote of confidence in the APC’s leadership at both the state and national levels.”
However, the trend has raised concerns among political analysts and civil society groups about Nigeria’s democracy drifting toward a de facto one-party system, a situation they argue could undermine legislative checks and the health of multiparty democracy.
“There is a serious danger when elected representatives abandon their platforms midstream without any ideological justification. It weakens opposition voices and reduces electoral accountability,” said political analyst Zainab Musa.
With the 2027 general elections still some years away, the recent developments suggest the ruling APC is already building momentum to retain dominance—starting from its strongholds like Katsina.