In a major political shake-up on Thursday,12 members of the House of Representatives formally defected from their various political parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, announced the defections during a plenary session, citing internal party crises and leadership disputes as the primary reasons for the lawmakers’ exit.

Of the 12 lawmakers who defected, six left the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC. Five members abandoned the Labour Party and the PDP for the ADC, while one member moved from the Young Progressives Party to the ADC.

The development has heightened concerns about growing instability within political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Those who defected from the PDP to the APC are James Barka (Adamawa), Kwamoti Bitrus Laori (Adamawa), Zakaria Nyampa (Adamawa), Kobis Thimnu (Adamawa), Midala Balami (Borno), and Mohammed Bargaja (Sokoto).

Lawmakers who defected to the ADC include Afam Victor Ogene (Anambra), Peter Aniekwe (Anambra), Lilian Orogbu (Anambra), Jessey Onakalusi (Lagos), and Murphy Osaro Omoruyi (Edo).

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary, disclosed that some other members had also written to the leadership of the House notifying it of their intention to leave their current parties.

He, however, said the letters and the destination parties of the lawmakers would not be disclosed in their absence.

While announcing the names of the defectors, Kalu said the reasons given by the lawmakers were similar to those previously cited by others who had defected. He added that the House would not read the letters during the session in order to save time.

According to him, the letters would only be read when the concerned lawmakers are present on the floor of the House.

During Wednesday’s plenary, Garba Inuwa and Abdullahi El-Rasheed from Gombe, as well as Mohammed Audu (Taraba) and Joshua Obika (FCT), defected to the APC, while Adewale Adebayo (Osun) left the PDP for the Accord Party.

In a series of tense exchanges spanning late 2025 and early 2026, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned Donald Trump and the international community that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already escalated into the beginning of World War III due to Russian aggression and its growing alliances.

While Zelensky has warned that Vladimir Putin’s actions are dragging the world into a global conflict, Trump has frequently flipped this narrative, accusing Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three” by refusing to make immediate concessions for a peace deal.

“I said that we would have World War III. The President (Trump) didn’t hear me…him with his guys,” Zelensky said in a televised interview on Wednesday.

“I’m not sure they (the United States) can estimate that Russia will support Iran with weapons, drones, and missiles. And—100 percent—it’s helping now with air defense.”

Pointing to the situation in his country, Zelensky said the next stage of the Iranian war could be troop deployment, saying there are 10,000 North Korean soldiers currently in Russia.

“Yes, they are on the territory of Russia, but they can come to Ukraine,” he presumed. “It can be the same with Iran; Russia can send troops.”

Zelensky said countries in the Middle East have remained neutral on the Ukrainian conflict because of their long history of economic relations with Moscow.

“They understand Russia is the aggressor but are not loud about it or strong on sanctions,” he said. “Now they are beginning to understand what it means to live under attacks.”

Reports in Western media suggest Russia is sharing drone warfare strategy learned in Ukraine with Iran, potentially boosting Tehran’s ability to hit U.S. and Gulf interests in the Middle East.

The war, now on Day 13, has affected at least a dozen countries, with no ceasefire indication in sight. The U.S. has struck thousands of targets and has not indicated boots on the ground.

“They (Iran) are pretty much at the end of the line,” President Trump said Wednesday night. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to end it immediately.”

Residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Sogunro waterfront communities in Lagos have officially rejected a proposal by the Lagos State House of Assembly to relocate them to the Agbowa area of Epe.

The rejection comes after a recommendation made during Tuesday’s plenary session (March 10, 2026), following a series of controversial demolitions that began in late December 2025 and continued into early 2026.

Some residents, who spoke in separate interviews on Wednesday, said they never reached any agreement with the state government regarding relocation to another part of the state.

The Secretary of the Makoko Gunuvi Student Association, Zannu Silivester, told journalists that discussions between the communities and the government had only involved suggestions and deliberations, without any binding agreement on relocation.

According to him, the announcement of a relocation plan came as a surprise to many residents of the waterfront settlements.

“All discussions held so far have only involved suggestions and debates between the Lagos State Government and residents of the Makoko waterfront community.

“We are surprised that a conclusion was announced and published without the knowledge or agreement of the Makoko community.

“Nigeria is a democratic nation, and democracy means the people have the right to choose their future, not decisions being imposed on them without consultation,” he said.

Silvester also criticised claims that the Oloto Royal Family are the ancestral owners of the waterfront communities.

He alleged that during earlier visits by community representatives to the Lagos State House of Assembly, the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Noheem Babatunde Adams, had reportedly stated that Makoko waterfront belonged to the Federal Government and not to the Oloto family.

“However, we are now surprised to see the same Oloto family being mentioned and listed as the owners of Makoko. This sudden change raises serious questions and concerns that the public deserves answers to.

“Makoko waterfront community has existed for decades, with the Ogu (Gunuvi) people as the original residents due to their traditional occupation of fishing, which requires close access to the water,” he said.

Silvester added that residents would not rule out staging a peaceful protest if the relocation plan proceeds without their consent.

“The people of Makoko are law-abiding citizens, but we will continue to defend our rights, heritage and ancestral homes. We urge the government to fulfil the promises made to the citizens of Makoko and to engage with the community in a transparent and democratic manner.

“If our voices continue to be ignored, the people of Makoko are prepared to mobilise peacefully in large numbers again, even greater than our previous visit to the Lagos State House of Assembly, to defend our rights and seek justice,” he added.

Also speaking, a community leader, Isaac Dosugan, said earlier discussions with government officials centred on defining boundaries for the communities rather than relocating residents.

The 75-year-old resident said the understanding was that the government would designate specific areas for the communities while developing undemolished sections into affordable housing.

“I was born in this community, and I am 75 years old. In all the meetings we had with the government, our suggestion was that the government should designate a boundary for us in the water area. We also suggested that they should develop the remaining areas for us into befitting residences.

“It is surprising that they are now saying that they will relocate us. We will not agree to this, and we reject any relocation plan,” he said.

The residents’ reaction followed a recommendation by the Lagos State House of Assembly during plenary on Tuesday that those affected by the demolition in the waterfront communities be relocated to the Epe axis of the state.

According to a statement from the Assembly’s Public Affairs Directorate, the recommendation followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Rules and Business.

The report was presented after a petition was submitted to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, titled “Urgent Appeal Regarding Ongoing Mass Forced Eviction and Illegal Demolition Threatening Tens of Thousands in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro Communities.”

While presenting the report, Adams explained that the committee arrived at its recommendations after holding five separate meetings with the petitioners and conducting an oversight visit alongside government officials, relevant agencies and representatives of the affected communities.

The Assembly noted that the demolition exercise carried out by the state government displaced numerous residents, including women, children and the elderly, while homes and other property were destroyed.

Lawmakers also observed that the waterfront communities rely heavily on fishing for survival and have historically lived close to the water due to the nature of their occupation.

As part of its recommendations, the Assembly urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Special Adviser on E-GIS to verify the enumeration report submitted by the affected communities.

“The committee further recommended that the government relocate the remaining residents of Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon to a proposed low-cost housing estate to be constructed in the Agbowa area of the state, where they can continue their fishing activities,” the statement added.