The Senate on Wednesday officially welcomed four senators who defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), thereby strengthening the APC’s grip on the upper chamber.
The defectors are Senator Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South), Senator Etim Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), and Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central).
The Senate then suspended its standing orders to admit several prominent APC figures into the chamber. These included the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; the Osun State APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal; members of the House of Representatives; and former Minister, Chris Ngige. They attended the session to witness the defections.
With these new additions, the APC now holds 72 seats in the 10th Senate, a significant increase from the 50 seats it held at the start of the current Assembly in June 2023.
In contrast, the PDP’s representation has dwindled to 26, following several defections from its members as well as from the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele called the defections a clear example of democracy in action.
“For us, it’s not merely a numbers game. We face a serious task in ensuring our members and stakeholders stay aligned with the values of our party. We are committed to moving Nigeria forward, and we don’t take this momentum lightly,” Bamidele stated.