The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday suffered another major setback in the Senate, following the defection of three senators to the All Progressives Congress.
The development reduced the number of PDP senators in the chamber to 14, far below the 36 the opposition party had at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.
Similarly, the party lost three members in the House of Representatives to the ruling APC and one to Accord, thus reducing their number in the Green Chamber to 17.
The development means the PDP shed 85 lawmakers from its inaugural figure of 102 in 2023.
This means that, across both chambers of the National Assembly, the PDP lost 107 lawmakers to the APC, Accord and the African Democratic Congress.
The APC, however, expanded its strength to 84 senators from 59 at the inauguration of the 10th Senate in June 2023.
The Labour Party, which began the term with eight senators, currently has none, while the New Nigeria People’s Party now has one senator, down from two at the start of the assembly.
Also, the Social Democratic Party, which initially had two senators, currently has none, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance retains one seat.
The African Democratic Congress, which had no senator at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, now controls five seats, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress has one senator in the person of Seriake Dickson representing Bayelsa West.
The Senate currently has 106 serving members, three short of the constitutionally required 109 seats.
The vacant seats include Nasarawa North, which became vacant following the death of Godiya Akwashiki; Enugu North, left vacant after the demise of Okechukwu Ezea; and Rivers South-East, which became vacant after the death of Senator Mpigi.
In the 360-member House, the APC now controls 245 seats, leaving 114 seats for seven opposition parties.
On Wednesday, three defections were announced on the floor of the Senate, while five members of the House of Representatives switched parties.
The defecting senators are Amos Yohanna (Adamawa North), Aminu Iya Abbas (Adamawa Central) and Ikra Aliyu Bilbis (Zamfara North).
Their defection came barely 24 hours after Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, representing Rivers West, also dumped the PDP for the ruling APC.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, after reading the defection letters, further fuelled speculation of additional defections from opposition ranks, as he disclosed that several other senators had already forwarded letters notifying him of their intention to switch parties.
He said the announcements were temporarily put on hold following the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East, noting that the Senate had suspended plenary from Tuesday to Wednesday in honour of the late lawmaker.
Explaining her decision to leave the PDP, Banigo said she opted for what she described as a more stable political platform capable of advancing the legislative and developmental interests of her constituents and the country.
She also cited the lingering leadership crisis within the PDP as a major factor behind her decision to defect.
“This decision is also predicated on my resolve to join my political mentor, the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike and Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in supporting President Bola Tinubu, in actualising his re-election bid.
“It is also to enable the President to continue his evident economic reforms, which have significantly improved the economic situation, enhanced currency stability, and driven numerous infrastructural developments across the country,” she said.
Announcing the defections on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, announced the defectors from the PDP to the APC as Inuwa Garba and Abdullahi Bashir, both from Gombe State and Mohammed Audu from Taraba State.
Also, a lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory, Chinedu Obika, moved from the LP to the APC, while Adewale Adebayo from Osun State left the PDP for Accord.
In their separate letters, the lawmakers attributed their decisions to persistent internal crises and leadership disputes within their former parties.
Garba, who hails from Gombe State, said his decision followed wide consultations with his constituents and political associates.
“This decision comes after sincere reflection and wide consultations with my constituents and supporters across my constituency,” he said.
Similarly, Bashir said his defection was taken in the “overriding collective interest” of his constituents after months of consultations with party stakeholders, family members and political associates.
He said the decision was also influenced by the ongoing crisis within the PDP, which he noted had weakened the party’s cohesion and its ability to effectively serve members and the public.
Meanwhile, Obika, who defected from the LP to the APC, said his move was necessitated by the “prolonged and unresolved leadership crisis” within his former party.
Obika added that his decision was also influenced by persistent appeals from constituents and political stakeholders urging him to return to the APC.
On his part, Audu said the protracted crisis within the PDP had significantly affected its ability to maintain cohesion and deliver on its mandate.
Adebayo opted to leave the PDP for the Accord, also citing internal divisions and leadership disputes within the opposition party.
After the letters were read, Abbas welcomed the defectors to their new political platforms, congratulating those who joined the ruling party.
“Congratulations on joining the greatest party in Africa,” the Speaker said while addressing the new APC members.
The development has further strengthened the numerical advantage of the ruling party in the House and reinforced concerns among opposition figures about the shrinking space for dissenting voices in the legislature.
At both chambers of the National Assembly, the ruling party has a comfortable two-thirds majority, a threshold that gives it a decisive edge in constitutional amendments and other critical legislative business.
The depletion of opposition ranks has weakened its capacity to mount coordinated resistance to executive-backed bills, while also limiting its bargaining power in committee leadership and oversight functions.
The situation became more fluid following the defection of former presidential candidates of the PDP and LP, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, respectively, to the African Democratic Congress, a move widely interpreted as part of a broader coalition effort aimed at unseating President Tinubu in 2027.
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