Major defections reshape Nigeria’s opposition, ADC emerges as new main opposition in Senate
In a dramatic session at the National Assembly, 10 senators officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), altering the composition of the minority bloc and positioning ADC as the leading opposition platform in the Senate.
Notable figures among the defectors include former Sokoto State Governor and ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senator Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), and Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central). Others include Senators Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna Central), Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South), Augustine Akobundu (Abia Central), Ireti Kingibe (FCT), and Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South).
Most of the senators cited internal crises, leadership disputes, and unresolved litigations within their former parties as reasons for leaving. Tambuwal lamented prolonged divisions in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Kingibe attributed her exit from the Labour Party (LP) to unresolved leadership conflicts.
The session took a constitutional turn when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) faced scrutiny over his defection from All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave him seven days to provide evidence of his expulsion from APGA, highlighting Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires lawmakers to vacate seats if they leave parties without valid cause. Abaribe insisted he had been expelled months earlier, but official documentation was yet to be submitted.
In the House of Representatives, 12 members also defected from PDP, LP, and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to APC and ADC. The defectors cited irreconcilable differences as their reason for switching parties, with movements from Borno, Sokoto, Lagos, and Edo states among others.
In another political development, Adamu Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, formally resigned from PDP, expressing gratitude for his time in the party, though he did not reveal his next political affiliation.
These defections significantly weaken the PDP and Labour Party, while strengthening ADC as the main opposition in the Senate. Despite these changes, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to hold a commanding majority, retaining the ability to pass legislation and shape the legislative agenda.
