Tension in Senate as Abaribe, Tambuwal, Kingibe, six others defect to ADC

The Senate on Thursday witnessed a dramatic session as nine senators announced their defection from various political parties to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s move triggered a constitutional debate on the floor of the chamber.

The defecting lawmakers and their former political parties are Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (PDP – Sokoto South), Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA – Abia South), Binos Dauda Yaroe (PDP – Adamawa South), Victor Umeh (LP – Anambra Central), Tony Nwoye (LP – Anambra North), Lawal Adamu Usman (PDP – Kaduna Central), Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (PDP – Nasarawa South), Augustine Akobundu (PDP – Abia Central), and Ireti Kingibe (LP – FCT).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the letters of defection during plenary after the Senate suspended its rules to allow the late submission of the documents.

Tambuwal, in his letter announcing his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), blamed persistent crises within the opposition party.

He wrote: “The persistent internal crisis, leadership disagreements, litigations, and divisions within the party at various levels have made it increasingly difficult for me to continue my active participation and commitment as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. The ongoing conflicts have unfortunately weakened the unity and cohesion that once defined the party.”

Similarly, Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe, who also left the PDP, said his decision was informed by the need to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic system.

Senator Yaroe said: “The decision to align with the African Democratic Congress was informed by my resolve to join hands with other patriotic Nigerians to assure the nation and the international community that Nigeria is still a multi-party democracy and that our country cannot be turned into a one-party system.”

Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, said her decision to resign from the Labour Party was prompted by unresolved internal disputes within the party.

She stated: “This decision has become inevitable due to the protracted and seemingly irreconcilable fractionalisation and internal leadership crisis within the Labour Party.”

Other lawmakers who announced similar moves also cited lingering leadership disputes and divisions within their parties as the reason for joining the ADC.

However, Abaribe’s defection from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the ADC sparked a heated debate in the chamber over the constitutional implications of his action.

Reacting, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the Senate would examine the letters carefully to determine whether the constitutional requirements had been met.

Akpabio said, “You notice that I have read letters from three different political parties. So you cannot accuse the ruling party of tampering with its leadership because here you have APGA, the Labour Party, and the PDP. All of them appear to have internal problems.”

Akpabio also directed that the letters be scrutinised to determine whether any of the defections violated constitutional provisions.

“You may wish to check the letters to see if any of them show no division within their political party. In line with the Constitution, I think they ought to lose their seats,” Akpabio said.

Specifically, as directed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, his Deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin (Kano North), rose under Order 20 of the Senate’s standing Orders to challenge Abaribe’s defection from APGA, which, according to him, has no division or crisis at the National level.

“Mr. President, as directed by you, I have gone through the letters forwarded to you and read by you on defections of the nine Senators from some minority parties into ADC, but strongly observed that one of the parties (APGA), where Abaribe defected from, is not engulfed by any crisis or divisions, particularly at the National level.

“Abaribe’s defection, as clearly stated in section 68 (1b and g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is clearly against the provisions of the law and warrants you to do the needful as far as Abia South Senatorial seat is concerned,” he said.

Barau read the section, saying: “The section states: (1) A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if – (a) he becomes a member of another legislative house.

(b) Any other circumstances arise that, if he were not a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, would cause him to be disqualified for election as a member;

On his part, former Edo State governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, raised a constitutional point of order, arguing that the Constitution permits lawmakers to defect without losing their seats only if there is a division within the party that sponsored their election.

Oshiomhole said: “Those moving from the PDP may have a reason because we know there are factions in the party. But there is no division in APGA, and there is no division in the Labour Party. The Constitution is very clear on this.”

Responding to the concerns raised, Abaribe claimed that he was sacked (expelled) since September 2025 from APGA, arguing that the Constitution does not specifically address situations where a lawmaker is removed from his party.

Abaribe said: “I am not a lawyer. This section (68) does not in any way cover the situation where somebody is sacked from their party. I was sacked from my party in September 2025, and I have the letter here.”

However, Akpabio said the Senate had not received any official documentation confirming the claim.

The Senate President told the Abia South senator, “You have confirmed that you are not leaving because of any division but because of a supposed sack. The Senate is not yet aware of that. We don’t have evidence of that here.”

He subsequently gave Abaribe one week to provide documentary evidence of his alleged expulsion from APGA.

“Let us give Senator Abaribe one week to produce evidence of his dismissal,” Akpabio ruled.

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, later said the development raised serious constitutional issues concerning the qualification and disqualification of lawmakers.

Bamidele said the purported sacking of Abaribe from APGA in September last year is even enough grounds for his seat to be declared vacant, as stated in section 68 (1b) of the 1999 Constitution.

He noted that the Constitution clearly outlines the circumstances under which a member of the National Assembly can defect without losing his seat.

“Section 65 of the Constitution establishes the qualification for election into the Senate, while Section 68 establishes the circumstances under which a member shall vacate his seat. These provisions must guide whatever decision we take,” Bamidele said.

The Senate leadership eventually resolved to revisit the issue at a later sitting after Abaribe submits evidence supporting his claim of expulsion from APGA.

Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that the ADC may likely emerge as the main opposition minority party in the Senate, a position hitherto occupied by the PDP.

This followed the depletion of the PDP ranks through incessant defections of its members to other political parties, citing an intractable crisis in the party.

It was further learnt that Abaribe has been pencilled down to be the new minority leader of the Senate. Abaribe was equally a minority leader during the 9th Senate.

The gale of defections in the Senate has increased the number of APC Senators to 87 (including those yet to switch parties on the floor), reduced PDP Senators to seven, and with ADC emerging as the main opposition party in the Senate with nine members, while APGA, NNPP, and NDC have one member each.

The total number of Senators in the 10th Senate is presently 106. Three seats – Nasarawa North, Enugu North, and Rivers South East – are vacant due to the deaths of senators who formerly occupied the seats.

 SOURCE: THE NATION