By Obinna Uballa
At least nine senators from various political parties on Thursday officially announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move that further alters the political balance in the Senate.
The lawmakers who declared for the party 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 Thursday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Nwoye explained that his decision to leave the Labour Party was influenced by ongoing legal disputes and internal disagreements within the party.
“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 in the letter read on the floor of the chamber.
Reacting to the development, Akpabio welcomed the defecting lawmakers to their new political platform but dismissed suggestions that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was responsible for the wave of defections.
According to him, the defections cut across different opposition parties, including the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Labour Party, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), indicating broader internal challenges within 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.
“So, all of them have a problem. They’ve not been able to put their parties together. The APC cannot be blamed for this.”
The latest development reflects ongoing political realignments within the 10th Senate, where lawmakers have increasingly switched allegiances amid internal disputes in several opposition parties.
Following the defections, the APC continues to hold a commanding majority with 87 senators, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now has only seven members in the chamber.
The ADC, boosted by the new entrants, has increased its representation in the Senate to seven members.
Other minority parties in the upper legislative chamber include APGA, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), each with one senator, bringing the Senate’s total membership 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 had confirmed his departure from the PDP in a statement posted on his X account, citing internal crisis and leadership disagreements within the party.
He said the persistent divisions within the PDP had weakened the unity and direction that once defined the party, making it difficult for him to remain a member.
Tambuwal added that his decision to join the ADC was guided by his belief in building a political platform rooted in integrity, accountability, inclusiveness, and a commitment to national development.
