From Victor Osula, Abuja
In a major political realignment on Thursday, nine Nigerian senators defected from their respective parties to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), signalling a strengthening of the party’s presence in the National Assembly.
The defections include five senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), three from the Labour Party (LP), and one from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The PDP senators who joined ADC are Dauda Yaroe, Lawal Usman, Ogochi Onawe, Aminu Tambuwal, and Austin Akubondu. The LP defectors are Ireti Kingibe, Victor Umeh, and Tony Nwoye, while Eyinnaya Abaribe left APGA, citing his sacking from the party in September 2025 as the reason for his defection.
Eight of the senators who left PDP and LP attributed their decision to leadership crises and internal conflicts in their former parties, highlighting growing dissatisfaction within Nigeria’s political landscape.
The move represents a significant boost for ADC, which continues to expand its influence in the National Assembly. With Tambuwal, Kingibe, Abaribe, and six other senators now under its banner, ADC positions itself as a formidable alternative in the country’s multiparty political system.
