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The Senate on Thursday threatened that the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, could lose his seat if he does not reconsider his resignation from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Mr Abaribe, a vocal opposition figure in the chamber, announced his resignation from APGA in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary.
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In the letter, the lawmaker said he was defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), due to an irreconcilable leadership crisis within his former party. ADC was adopted by some opposition leaders in the country to run for elective positions in the 2027 elections.
However, some senators, including the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, raised objections to the defection, particularly the reason given by Mr Abaribe.
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Mr Jibrin argued that there is no division within APGA’s leadership structure. He noted that Section 68(1)(g) of the Nigerian Constitution provides that a member of the National Assembly who defects from the political party that sponsored his election must vacate his seat unless there is a division within the party.
He also referenced Order 20(j) of the Senate Standing Orders, which gives the senate president the authority to interprete the rules and take a final decision on issues in the chamber.
Mr Jibrin therefore urged the senate president to rule on the matter in line with the constitutional provisions.
Similarly, the senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, said party leaders should resolve internal disputes rather than abandon the party during crises.
Mr Bamidele also argued that Mr Abaribe may have violated Section 65 of the Constitution, which requires a member of the National Assembly to belong to a political party as a condition for holding office.
Mr Bamidele urged the senate president to allow Mr Abaribe withdraw his resignation letter so that the Senate leadership could deliberate on the matter. Otherwise, he said, the chamber should act on the letter in accordance with the Constitution.
Abaribe’s defense
Responding to the objections, Mr Abaribe said he resigned because he had already been expelled from APGA in September 2025.
He urged the Senate leadership to accept his resignation, insisting that he was no longer a member of the party.
Following the exchange, Mr Akpabio directed Mr Abaribe to submit a copy of the expulsion letter from APGA within one week for consideration.
However, Messrs Jibrin and Bamidele maintained that the senate president should immediately rule in line with the constitutional provisions by declaring the seat vacant.
In his ruling, Mr Akpabio said the Senate would give Mr Abaribe time to reconsider withdrawing his letter before taking a constitutional position.
“We’ll give you until our next sitting to reconsider or the chamber will take a position,” Mr Akpabio said.
It is not clear however, whether Mr Abaribe had already registered as a member of the ADC before submitting the resignation letter.
Mr Abaribe, one of the few vocal opposition figures in the Senate, was first elected to the Senate in 2007 and has since been re-elected multiple times, making him one of the more experienced lawmakers in the chamber.
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Before joining the Senate, he served as the deputy governor of Abia State between 1999 and 2003 during the administration of Orji Kalu, now also a senator.. His tenure ended following a political dispute that led to his impeachment.
Over the years, Mr Abaribe has built a reputation as a vocal opposition politician, often speaking on issues relating to governance, democracy and the rights of the South-east region.
He has also been involved in major national controversies. In 2017, he gained national attention after standing as surety for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, when the latter was granted bail in a treason trial. Mr Abaribe later withdrew as surety after Mr Kanu disappeared from Nigeria.
Politically, Mr Abaribe has changed party affiliations over the years. He was elected to the Senate under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before later moving to APGA, under which he won the 2023 senatorial election.
Because of his long legislative experience and outspoken stance on national issues, Mr Abaribe remains one of the most prominent senators from Nigeria’s South-east.
