In a major shift within the upper chamber, nine senators from various political backgrounds officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday.
The new members include Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), Lawal Usman (Kaduna Central), Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South), Austin Akobundu (Abia Central), and Ireti Kingibe (FCT).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the formal notices during Thursday’s plenary. Highlighting the friction within his former party, Senator Nwoye stated in his letter: “I wish to tender my resignation amid the ongoing multiple litigations within the Labour Party, which have significantly affected the cohesion and stability of the party.”
He concluded by asking Akpabio to “Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and regards,”
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Following the announcements, Akpabio dismissed claims that the APC was orchestrating these moves, pointing out that the defections originated from several different opposition groups.
Addressing the Deputy Senate President and Senate Leader, he remarked: “Deputy Senate President and Leader of the Senate, I hope you noticed that I have read (defections) from three different political parties now. So, you cannot accuse the ruling party of tampering with its leadership. Here, we have APGA, Labour, SDP, and all of them.”
He further observed that “So, all of them have a problem. They’ve not been able to put their parties together. So, the APC cannot be blamed for this.” and expressed his pride in the lawmakers, adding: “They are all out to ensure that we have what you call a minority status in this chamber, and I am very proud of them.”
This realignment has significantly altered the Senate’s composition. The APC maintains a dominant majority with 87 senators, while the PDP’s numbers have dropped to seven.
The ADC’s strength has surged to seven senators, placing it on par with the PDP. Meanwhile, the APGA, NNPP, and NDC each hold a single seat, while both the Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party have been left with no representation in the 106-member chamber.
