In a dramatic twist on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, nine serving senators announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing deepening internal crises and instability within their former political parties.
The lawmakers, 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), formally declared their switch during plenary.
Their letters of defection were read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Sen. Nwoye explained that his decision stemmed from the lingering leadership tussle within the Labour Party.
He lamented that multiple litigations had eroded the party’s cohesion, making it difficult for him to discharge his legislative duties effectively.
Following the announcement, Senate President Akpabio welcomed the defectors but dismissed insinuations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) engineered the move.
He stressed that the senators came from diverse opposition parties, including APGA, Labour Party and SDP, all of which, he said, had struggled to maintain internal stability.
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“Deputy Senate president and leader of the Senate, I hope you noticed that I have read defections from three different political parties now,” Akpabio remarked.
“So, you cannot accuse the ruling party of tampering with its leadership. Here we have APGA, Labour, SDP and all of them. They’ve not been able to put their parties together. So, the APC cannot be blamed for this.”
Political observers note that the development could significantly alter the Senate’s configuration, potentially strengthening the minority bloc and reshaping legislative dynamics in the months ahead.
