Nine senators from different political parties formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday, further reshaping the opposition landscape in the 10th Senate.
The defectors 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), and Ireti Kingibe (FCT).
Their letters of defection were read on the Senate floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In his letter, Nwoye cited internal crises within the Labour Party as his reason for leaving.
“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 wrote.
Akpabio welcomed the lawmakers but dismissed claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) influenced the defections.
“These senators come from APGA, Labour, SDP, and others. All of them have internal problems; the APC cannot be blamed,” he said.
The defections highlight continuing political realignments in the Senate, where party switching has become frequent amid internal disputes within opposition parties.
Following Thursday’s move, the APC holds 87 seats, while the ADC increases its presence to seven senators.
The Peoples Democratic Party drops to seven, and minority parties APGA, NNPP, and NDC maintain one senator each.
Labour Party and SDP now have no representation in the upper chamber.
The wave of defections underscores the fragile cohesion of opposition parties and the growing influence of the ADC in Nigeria’s Senate.
