A fresh wave of political realignment occurred in the Nigerian Senate on Thursday as nine lawmakers officially moved to the African Democratic Congress, signalling another shift in party strength within the upper legislative chamber.
Among the senators who joined the ADC are Aminu Tambuwal representing Sokoto South, Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South, Binos Yaroe representing Adamawa South, as well as Victor Umeh of Anambra Central and Tony Nwoye representing Anambra North.
Also part of the group are Lawal Usman of Kaduna Central, Ogoshi Onawo representing Nasarawa South, Austin Akobundu of Abia Central and Ireti Kingibe representing the Federal Capital Territory.
During Thursday’s plenary session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio formally read the letters submitted by the lawmakers announcing their departure from their former political parties.
Explaining his decision in the communication read before the chamber, Nwoye cited the persistent leadership disputes and numerous court cases within the Labour Party as the major reasons behind his defection.
According to him, the internal instability within the party had weakened its unity and made it difficult for members to operate effectively.
Responding to the development after announcing the defections, Akpabio congratulated the lawmakers on their new political platform but rejected claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress had influenced the movement.
He emphasised that the senators moved from different opposition parties, including the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the Social Democratic Party (Nigeria), suggesting that the defections were largely driven by internal crises within those parties.
The latest political shift highlights the continuing instability within several opposition parties and the ongoing reconfiguration of alliances in the 10th Senate.
Following the movement of the nine lawmakers, the All Progressives Congress still maintains a commanding majority in the chamber with 87 senators, while the Peoples Democratic Party now has seven members.
The ADC has equally strengthened its presence in the Senate, bringing its total number of lawmakers in the chamber to seven.
Aside from the major parties, the New Nigeria People’s Party and the National Democratic Congress each have a single senator, alongside the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party currently have no representation in the Senate after the latest defections took effect.
