Nigerian former vice president defects to opposition

ABUJA (Reuters) - Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has defected to Nigeria's main opposition party, adding a heavyweight name to a group that poses an increasing threat to the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in elections next year.

Abubakar, a founding member of PDP and vice president between 1999-2007, joins five state governors and dozens of lawmakers who have recently signed up with the All Progressive Congress (APC), which has used its increasing weight to threaten to block this year's budget in parliament.

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Joe Brock, editing by Elizabeth Piper)