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- Ruling Party Rises to 83
From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
Barely a day after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost one of its senators to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the opposition party suffered another major setback on Wednesday as three more of its lawmakers formally defected to the ruling party, further swelling the APC’s numerical strength in the Senate to 83.
The lawmakers who crossed over are Amos Yohanna, Aminu Iya Abbas, and Ikra Aliyu Bilbis.
Their separate letters of defection were read on the floor of the Senate during Wednesday’s plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, formally notifying lawmakers of their decision to leave the PDP and join the APC.
In their letters addressed to the Senate President, the defecting lawmakers cited the lingering internal crisis within the PDP as the principal reason for their decision, pointing to persistent leadership disputes, factional divisions and ongoing litigation within the party.
According to them, the prolonged instability within the opposition party had weakened its internal cohesion and adversely affected their ability to effectively pursue the developmental interests of their constituencies.
“Given the prevailing internal divisions and protracted leadership disputes and ongoing litigation within the leadership of my former party, which have adversely affected my position, I am convinced that the All Progressives Congress offers a more stable and progressive platform to advance the developmental aspirations of my constituency and the nation at large,” the letters read.
With the latest defections, the PDP’s representation in the upper legislative chamber has dropped to 19 senators, while the APC now commands a commanding majority of 83 lawmakers, further tightening the ruling party’s grip on the Senate and reinforcing its legislative dominance in the 10th National Assembly.
The development came barely 24 hours after the defection of Ipalibo Banigo from the PDP to the APC.
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Banigo, a former Deputy Governor of Rivers State and a first-time senator elected in the 2023 general election, had also cited the lingering leadership crisis within the PDP as the basis for her decision to leave the party.
In her defection letter read during Tuesday’s plenary, she explained that her decision was also influenced by the need to align politically with key leaders in Rivers State, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in supporting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its “Renewed Hope” agenda.
She also commended the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, noting that the policies were beginning to stabilize the currency and drive critical infrastructure development across the country.
Banigo further pledged her readiness to work with colleagues in the APC caucus to advance the interests of her constituents and support national development initiatives.
Her announcement at plenary was greeted with loud applause from APC senators who welcomed her into the ruling party’s fold.
The senator’s defection also means that all three senatorial seats from Rivers State are now controlled by the APC, following the earlier movement of the late Barinada Mpigi and Allwell Onyesoh from the PDP to the ruling party.
Following the latest wave of defections, the party composition in the 10th Senate now stands as: APC with 83 senators, PDP with 19, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with one senator, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with one senator, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with four senators, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) with one senator.
The latest political realignments underscore the shifting dynamics within the National Assembly as parties reposition and lawmakers recalibrate their alliances ahead of future political contests.
