ADC Ousts PDP as Leading Opposition Force in Senate

The events of Thursday, 12th March, will be etched in memory for a long time, particularly the decision of nine serving Senators in the 10th Senate to defect from their political parties to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

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The day's plenary session at the Senate Chamber began like any other, but the atmosphere soon became charged and dramatic when the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, started reading the letters of defection one after another.

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The defection was the culmination of months of intense political maneuvering, brainstorming, and a series of meetings, both day and night, involving the Senators.

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The Senators who defected to the ADC were Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto South; Enyinnaya Abaribe, Abia South; Binos Yaroe, Adamawa South; Victor Umeh, Anambra Central; Tony Nwoye, Anambra North; Lawal Usman, Kaduna Central; Ogoshi Onawo, Nasarawa South; Austin Akobundu, Abia Central and Ireti Kingibe, Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

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With this move, Abaribe, Tambuwal, and the others have formally joined the party led by former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, which also includes notable figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, to give the 2027 Presidential election a strong opposition.

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The 2027 presidential election is also a factor in this development, as the opposition, particularly the ADC members, are grouping and planning to unseat President Bola Tinubu in his second term bid.

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Senator Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa West, announced his move to the new Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, where he is the founder and National Leader, rather than joining the ADC.

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The Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Kamarudeen Olalere, Osun West, also announced his departure from the PDP to the Accord Party.

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The gale of defections has made the ADC the main opposition in the Senate, with 9 Senators, depleting the PDP to 6, while APGA remains 1, NNPP 1, NDC 1, and Accord 1, totaling 106 Senators, with the APC controlling 87, and three seats vacant due to the deaths of the affected Senators.

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In his letter of defection, Tambuwal cited persistent internal conflicts within the party, saying, “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.

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Similarly, Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe, who also dumped the PDP, stated that his decision was driven by the need to preserve Nigeria’s democratic system, adding, “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.”

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Senator Ireti Kingibe explained that her resignation from the Labour Party followed deep internal crises within the party, saying, “This decision has become inevitable due to the protracted and seemingly irreconcilable fractionalisation and internal leadership crisis within the Labour Party.”

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Umeh’s letter stated, “I wish to formally notify you and the entire Senate, through this medium, of my resignation from the Labour Party (LP) and my defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

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Tony Nwoye’s letter read, “I formally notify you of my resignation from the Labour Party and my intention to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), due to the persistent internal divisions and the ongoing multiple litigations within the Labour Party.

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Usman’s letter stated, “I write to formally notify you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the political party under whose platform I was elected as a senator into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, due to the prolonged and irreconcilable divisions within the national leadership structure of the party.

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Onawo’s letter read, “I write to formally notify you and the entire distinguished Senate of my decision to defect from the PDP to ADC with immediate effect, after careful reflection and consultation with my constituents and supporters.

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Akobundu’s letter stated, “I wish to formally notify you and the entire Senate through this medium of my defection from PDP to the ADC, in order to deepen democracy and ensure that it not only survives but also thrives.

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The development has significant implications for the nation's politics, raising questions about the potential for a one-party state and the role of the opposition in the Senate.

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The Senate now has a clear majority controlled by the APC, with 87 Senators, while the ADC has become the leading opposition party, surpassing the PDP.

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The irony of the situation is that when the National Assembly was inaugurated on 12th June, 2023, the gap between the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the opposition parties in the Senate was not significant.

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Prior to the inauguration, the ruling party did not have a clear majority voice in the Upper Chamber, and the party never had the required two-thirds majority needed in Parliament to conclude some legislations.

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At the inception of the 10th Senate, the party composition was APC 59; PDP 36; LP 8; NNPP 2; SDP 2, and YPP 1.

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However, the number of APC and LP Senators decreased, while the PDP increased by two, making it 38 members for the PDP, after the nullification of the election of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the APC, Kogi Central, in October 2023, and the swearing-in of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the PDP on 2nd November, 2023.

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In October 2023, the number of APC Senators increased by one when the only YPP lawmaker in the Upper Chamber, late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Anambra South, dumped the YPP for the APC, effectively ending the YPP's presence in the Senate.

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The PDP has lost control of the minority leadership in the Senate, with Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue State, as the Minority Leader, and this may lead to a change of leadership in the minority caucus.

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Moro may retain his position if he decides to join the ADC, led by former President of the Senate, Senator Mark, who contributed to his political growth.

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The road to the final dislodgment of the PDP from controlling the minority is underway, with the ADC poised to take over the mantle of leadership, having ranking Senators like Abaribe, Tambuwal, and Umeh, as well as a former Minority Leader in Abaribe.