The African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday became the main opposition party in the Senate as nine senators left the fold of other parties to join.
With the development, the number of senators in the ADC rose to nine while that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which used to be the main opposition party dropped to seven.
At the plenary on Thursday, nine senators from three different parties: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Labour Party (LP) joined the ADC.
Following the defections, our correspondent reports that the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) now has 87 senators, ADC 9, PDP 6, Accord 1, APGA 1, NDC 1 and NNPP 1.
Three seats, Nasarawa North, Enugu North and Rivers South East are vacant due to the deaths of the affected Senators .
In their letters addressed to and read by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the senators cited internal crises, leadership disputes, and a desire to strengthen democracy as reasons for their movement.
Those that defected are Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South), Ireti Kingibe (LP, FCT), Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), Binos Dauda Yar’Adua (PDP, Adamawa South), Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North), Lawal Adamu Usman (PDP, Kaduna Central), Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (PDP, Nasarawa South), Augustine Akobundu (PDP, Abia Central) and Victor Umeh (APGA Anambra Central) and Victor Omeh (APGA Anambra Central).
Deputy Minority Leader, Kamoru Olalere (PDP Osun West) decamped to the Accord Party.
Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West), who founded and defected to the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC) last week from PDP also used the opportunity to make it official on Thursday through a letter read on his behalf by the Senate President.
Prior to the recent defections, the PDP has been the main opposition party having 36 seats at the inception of the 10th Senate.
A political analyst, Dr Jacob Ijayah, told Daily Trust that with the new realignment at the Senate, the ADC has become the main opposition party and should produce the minority leader.
He said, “Ideally, the minority leader comes from the party that has the highest seats after the majority party and that is what should apply to the ADC now.’’
However, a source within the Senate said it is not likely that the current minority leader, Senator Abah Moro of the PDP will be removed from the position because of his closeness to the leadership of the Senate.
One of the Senators, who spoke briefly with our reporter shortly after the seating, said since senators are still defecting, it will be too early for the Senate to make any adjustment now.
The senator said the legislature will do the right thing after the gale of the defections.
Fireworks over Abaribe’s defection
Our correspondent reports that the official defection of nine senators from minority parties to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during Thursday’s plenary sparked intense debate over the invocation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, specifically regarding Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South).
Senator Abaribe, in a letter of defection forwarded to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, joined eight other senators in officially moving to the ADC.
While the other defectors—Senators Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Binos Yar’Adua (Adamawa South), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), Lawal Adamu (Kaduna Central), Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South), Austin Akobundu (Abia Central), and Ireti Kingibe (FCT)—cited internal divisions within their former parties (PDP and LP) to justify their actions, Abaribe could not claim a similar crisis within the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Latching on this legal lacuna, the Senate leadership questioned Abaribe on why the aforementioned constitutional section should not be invoked to declare his seat vacant.
Following a directive from Senate President Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (Kano North) rose under Order 42 (Personal Explanation/Matter of Urgent Importance) of the Senate Standing Orders to challenge Abaribe’s defection.
He argued that APGA has no recognized division or crisis at the national level.
“Mr. President, as directed, I have reviewed the letters of defection from the nine senators. I strongly observe that one of the parties—APGA—is not engulfed by any crisis or division, particularly at the national level,” Jibrin stated.
“Abaribe’s defection, as outlined in Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), appears to contravene the law, which warrants declaring the Abia South Senatorial seat vacant,” he added.
The relevant section states that a member of the Senate shall vacate his seat if:
(g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member…
Responding to the observation, Abaribe tacitly admitted that APGA is not divided but disclosed that the party had “sacked” him in September 2025. He argued that since the law requires a senator to belong to a political party, he chose to join the ADC (notably, your draft mentioned APC here, but the context implies ADC).
Dissatisfied with this defence, Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) submitted that the purported expulsion of Abaribe from APGA last year is actually further grounds for his seat to be declared vacant under Section 68(1)(b).
Consequently, the Senate President ruled that Abaribe has one week to either withdraw his letter of defection or provide a more convincing legal reason for his move.
12 Reps defect to ADC, APC
Almost simultaneously 12 members of the House of Representatives on Thursday, announced their defection from their political parties to new platforms, signaling fresh political realignments in the Green Chamber.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, read the letters of defection during plenary.
Among those who defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are Victor Afam Ogene, representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State; Peter Aniekwe, representing Anambra East/West Federal Constituency; and Lilian Orogbu, representing Awka North/Awka South Federal Constituency of Anambra State.
Others who moved from the LP to the ADC are Jesse Okey‑Joe Onuakalusi, representing Oshodi/Isolo I Federal Constituency of Lagos State, and Murphy Omoruyi, representing Ego/Ikboba/Okha Federal Constituency of Edo State.
Also joining the ADC is Peter Uzokwe, who defected from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo of Anambra State.
Similarly, six lawmakers dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
They include Zakaria Dauda Nyampa, representing Michika/Madagali Federal Constituency of Adamawa State; Midala Balami, representing Askira/Uba–Hawul Federal Constituency of Borno State; and Mohammed Bargaja, representing Isa/Sabo-Birni of Sokoto State.
Others who joined the APC are James Shaibu Barka, representing Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency of Adamawa State; Bitrus Kwamoti Laori, representing Demsa/Numan/Lamurde Federal Constituency of Adamawa State; and Kobis Thimnu, representing Guyuk/Shelleng Federal Constituency of Adamawa State.
The defections were formally communicated to the House through separate letters addressed to the Speaker and read on the floor during plenary.
They attributed their defections to crisis within their former platforms.
The development is the latest in a series of political shifts within the National Assembly as lawmakers reposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Bad week for PDP in the Senate
The rank of legislators in the PDP has been shrinking within the week.
On Wednesday, the PDP caucus in the Senate suffered depletion when three senators, Amos Yohana from Adamawa North; his counterpart from Adamawa Central, Senator Aminu Iya Abbas and the Senator representing Zamfara Central, Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis moved to the APC.
The senator representing Rivers West, Ipalibo Banigo also defected from the PDP to the APC on Tuesday.
DAILY TRUST.
