No fewer than nine senators from different political parties formally announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday, reshaping the political configuration of the Nigerian Senate.
Those defecting 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)
- Ireti Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory)
The senators’ letters of defection were read on the Senate floor during Thursday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Nwoye cited internal crises within the Labour Party as his reason for switching allegiance. He stated:
“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. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and regards.”
Reacting after the letters were read, Akpabio welcomed the lawmakers to ADC but dismissed claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was behind the wave of defections. He said:
“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… 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. 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.”
The defections highlight ongoing political realignments in the 10th Senate, where lawmakers have frequently switched parties amid disputes within opposition ranks.
As of Thursday, the APC retains a dominant majority with 87 senators, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dwindled to seven members. With the new additions, the ADC now has seven senators in the chamber.
Other minority parties include the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and National Democratic Congress (NDC), each with one senator, bringing the total Senate membership to 106. The Labour Party and Social Democratic Party (SDP) currently have no representation following the latest defections.
