Political Turmoil in Nigeria’s National Assembly
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has faced a significant setback in the Nigerian Senate, with three senators defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This move has reduced the PDP’s presence in the Senate to 14 members, far below the 36 it had at the start of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023. The party also lost three members in the House of Representatives to the APC and one to Accord, bringing its total in the Green Chamber down to 17.
This shift means that the PDP has lost 85 lawmakers from its initial count of 102 in 2023. Across both chambers of the National Assembly, the party has shed 107 lawmakers to the APC, Accord, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The APC, on the other hand, has expanded its strength to 84 senators, up from 59 at the inauguration of the 10th Senate.
Other parties have also experienced changes in their representation. The Labour Party, which started the term with eight senators, currently has none, while the New Nigeria People’s Party now has one senator, down from two at the beginning of the assembly. The Social Democratic Party, which initially had two senators, now has none, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance retains one seat.
The ADC, which had no senator at the start of the National Assembly, now controls five seats. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Democratic Congress has one senator, Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West.
Vacant Seats and Defections
The Senate currently has 106 serving members, three short of the constitutionally required 109 seats. The vacant seats include Nasarawa North, Enugu North, and Rivers South-East, following the deaths of Godiya Akwashiki, Okechukwu Ezea, and Senator Barinada Mpigi, respectively.
In the 360-member House of Representatives, the APC now controls 245 seats, leaving 114 seats for seven opposition parties. On Wednesday, three defections were announced in the Senate, while five members of the House switched parties.
The defectors in the Senate are Amos Yohanna (Adamawa North), Aminu Iya Abbas (Adamawa Central), and Ikra Aliyu Bilbis (Zamfara North). Their defection came just 24 hours after Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, representing Rivers West, left the PDP for the APC.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, after reading the defection letters, hinted at potential additional defections from opposition ranks. He mentioned that several senators had already sent letters notifying him of their intention to switch parties. However, the announcements were temporarily delayed due to the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi, leading to a suspension of plenary sessions from Tuesday to Wednesday in honor of the late lawmaker.
Reasons for Defection
Senator Banigo explained her decision to leave the PDP, citing the need for a more stable political platform that could advance the legislative and developmental interests of her constituents and the country. She also highlighted the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP as a major factor behind her decision.
“This decision is also predicated on my resolve to join my political mentor, the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike and Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in supporting President Bola Tinubu, in actualising his re-election bid,” she said.
She added that her move was also aimed at enabling the President to continue his economic reforms, which have improved the economic situation, enhanced currency stability, and driven infrastructural developments across the country.
Reactions and Implications
In the House of Representatives, the Speaker Tajudeen Abbas announced the defections of Inuwa Garba and Abdullahi Bashir, both from Gombe State, and Mohammed Audu from Taraba State, who moved to the APC. Chinedu Obika, representing the Federal Capital Territory, defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC, while Adewale Adebayo from Osun State left the PDP for Accord.
The lawmakers attributed their decisions to persistent internal crises and leadership disputes within their former parties. Garba stated that his decision followed consultations with his constituents and political associates. Bashir emphasized that his defection was taken in the “overriding collective interest” of his constituents after months of consultations.
Obika cited the “prolonged and unresolved leadership crisis” within the LP as the reason for his move, while Audu noted that the PDP’s protracted crisis had affected its ability to maintain cohesion and deliver on its mandate. Adebayo also cited internal divisions within the PDP as a key factor in his decision to join Accord.
After the letters were read, Abbas welcomed the defectors to their new political platforms, congratulating those who joined the APC. “Congratulations on joining the greatest party in Africa,” he said while addressing the new APC members.
Impact on the National Assembly
The defections have further strengthened the APC’s numerical advantage in the House and raised concerns among opposition figures about the shrinking space for dissenting voices in the legislature. At both chambers of the National Assembly, the ruling party holds a comfortable two-thirds majority, giving it a decisive edge in constitutional amendments and other critical legislative business.
The depletion of opposition ranks has weakened its capacity to mount coordinated resistance to executive-backed bills, while also limiting its bargaining power in committee leadership and oversight functions.
The situation has become even more fluid following the defection of former presidential candidates of the PDP and LP, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, respectively, to the African Democratic Congress. This move is widely interpreted as part of a broader coalition effort aimed at unseating President Tinubu in 2027.