Senators and House of Representatives members who dumped their party for others because they lost in their bid for nomination risk losing their seats.
This is due to the strict basis for defection, provided by the Constitution, outside which the defecting lawmaker loses his seat.
For such lawmakers to retain their seats, they must prove that the constitutional stipulation for defection was met.
Eighteen senators in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are planning to join opposition parties after losing the primaries.
The party has already lost seven senators to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The PDP also had no fewer than four senators leave for other parties.
The Supreme Court had held that a lawmaker who defects to another party would lose his seat.
