The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday made light of the growing wave of defections from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the party as effectively finished amid ongoing internal turmoil.
Akpabio’s remarks came during plenary shortly after the Senate formally acknowledged the defection of several lawmakers, including Victor Umeh, who announced his move to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Umeh attributed his decision to persistent leadership disputes and “unending litigation” within the ADC.
Reacting to the development, Akpabio said, “Resignation from ADC and declaration for Labour Party. Maybe all those defecting from ADC should just compile everything in one paper and bring, so that we don’t keep announcing, announcing, announcing. Because I think ADC is dead,” drawing varied reactions from lawmakers present.
Continuing in a jocular tone, he questioned the frequency with which legislators switch political parties. “How many times can you defect in a month? Once. But some have done three times,” he said.
The Senate President proposed a more structured approach to handling defections in the chamber, suggesting that lawmakers should submit consolidated notices rather than individual announcements.
“So that it doesn’t look like a daily ritual. If you are defecting from Labour, you write all of you. If you are moving from ADC, you write all of you. If you are entering NDC, you write all of you,” he added.During the session, Akpabio also read a letter from Enyinnaya Abaribe, highlighting his multiple party movements over time. “Note that Senator Abaribe has moved from APGA to ADC, and now he has moved from ADC to Labour Party,” he stated, joking that such announcements might no longer be read individually in the future.
The comments come against the backdrop of a broader political shift within the National Assembly, where at least 17 members of the House of Representatives have also defected from the ADC to the NDC. Among those affected are Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, and Lilian Orogbu.
In his resignation letter presented on the Senate floor, Umeh reiterated the reasons for his departure, citing unresolved internal crises within the ADC. “I remain committed to making my contributions towards the development of our dear nation, but this time through the NDC,” he wrote.
