The member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Bello El-Rufai, has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress amid growing political realignments in the National Assembly.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, announced the defections during plenary on Thursday after reading separate letters submitted by the affected lawmakers.
Also joining the ADC were two lawmakers from Kaduna State elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Ajilo and Suleiman Yahaya Richifa.
Another lawmaker, Kamilu Ado from Kano State, defected from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, while Joshua Obika, representing AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory, resigned from the APC and joined the NDC.
The lawmakers attributed their decisions to unresolved internal crises and uncertainties within their former political parties.
Bello’s defection is seen as significant due to his political background as the son of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, whose recent political movements have continued to generate reactions across the country.
Nasir El-Rufai had earlier dumped the APC for the Social Democratic Party before aligning with the ADC, a move believed to have influenced several of his former allies in Kaduna politics.
Among some former Kaduna State officials linked with the political shift are former Commissioners Ibrahim Hussaini, Aisha Dikko, Amina Baloni and Halima Lawal, alongside former Head of Service, Bari’atu Mohammed.
