No fewer than nine senators on Thursday announced their defection from their respective political parties to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a development that is expected to alter the political balance in the Senate.
Among the lawmakers who joined the ADC are Aminu Tambuwal representing Sokoto South; Enyinnaya Abaribe of 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 representing the Federal Capital Territory.
Their letters of defection were read during Thursday’s plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Nwoye explained that his decision to leave the Labour Party was due to internal conflicts within the party. He cited ongoing legal disputes which, according to him, have weakened unity and stability within the party.
After announcing the defections, Akpabio welcomed the senators to their new political platform but rejected claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) played a role in the development.
According to him, the senators defected from different opposition parties due to their internal challenges, stressing that the APC should not be blamed for the shift in political allegiance.
The latest development highlights ongoing political realignments within the 10th Senate, where party defections have become frequent amid disputes in several opposition parties.
With the new changes, the APC still maintains a dominant majority in the Senate with 87 members. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now has seven senators, while the ADC has also increased its representation to seven members following the latest defections.
Other minority parties in the Senate include the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), each with one senator. The Senate currently has a total membership of 106.
Following the defections, both the Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party now have no representation in the upper legislative chamber.
