The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered another blow on Wednesday as four of its senators formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), further widening the power gap in the 10th National Assembly.
The defecting lawmakers are Senator Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South), Senator Etim Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), and Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central). Their move was officially acknowledged during plenary, with the Senate relaxing its standing rules to accommodate a high-profile APC delegation that came to witness the defections.
Those present included the National Secretary of the APC, the Osun State APC Chairman, members of the House of Representatives, and former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.
With the fresh defections, the APC now holds 72 out of 109 seats in the Senate, a significant leap from the 50 it had when the 10th Assembly was inaugurated in June 2023.
The PDP, on the other hand, continues to bleed members, with its Senate seats now reduced to just 26. The party has also lost lawmakers to the APC from the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in recent months.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, welcomed the new entrants, describing the development as a healthy expression of democratic freedom and alignment with the APC’s vision for national progress.
“For us, it is not just about increasing our numbers. It’s about deepening commitment to the work of rebuilding Nigeria. We don’t take this momentum lightly,” Bamidele said.
