Nine senators on Thursday announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a development that has further reshaped the political landscape of the Senate.
The lawmakers who switched parties include Aminu Waziri 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 (Federal Capital Territory).
Their letters of defection were read during plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Nwoye attributed his decision to leave the Labour Party to the ongoing internal disputes and legal battles affecting the party’s cohesion.
“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,” Nwoye said.
Responding to the defections, Akpabio welcomed the lawmakers to their new political platform but rejected claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had influenced the development.
According to him, the defections involved lawmakers from different opposition parties, including the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), indicating that the issues prompting the defections were internal to those parties.
“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,” Akpabio said, adding that the affected parties had struggled to manage their internal affairs.
The development underscores the continuing political shifts within the 10th Senate, where several lawmakers have changed party affiliations amid leadership disputes and factional divisions in opposition parties.
Following the defections, the APC maintains a dominant majority with 87 senators, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now has seven members in the chamber.
The ADC, strengthened by the influx of lawmakers, has also increased its presence in the Senate to seven members.
Other minority parties represented in the chamber include the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), APGA, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), each with one senator, bringing the total membership of the Senate to 106.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party currently have no representation in the Senate following the latest defections.
Earlier in the day, Tambuwal confirmed his resignation from the PDP in a statement shared on his X handle, citing persistent internal crisis and leadership disagreements within the party.
He said the divisions had weakened the unity and direction that once defined the party, making it difficult for him to continue his membership.
Tambuwal added that joining the ADC aligns with his conviction that Nigeria needs a stronger political platform built on integrity, accountability, inclusiveness, and a clear commitment to national development.
Leave a Reply