Nine opposition senators, on Thursday, announced their defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on the floor of the upper chamber ahead of the 2027 general election.
The senators are: Sokoto South Senator, Aminu Tambuwal; Abia South Senator, Eyinnaya Abaribe; Anambra Central Senator, Victor Umeh; Anambra North Senator, Tony Nwoye and Adamawa North Senator, Binos Yaroe.
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Others are Kaduna Central Senator, Lawal Usman; Nasarawa South Senator, Ogoshi Onawo; FCT Senator, Ireti Kingibe; and Abia Central Senator, Austin Akobundu.
Five of the senators moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), three from the Labour Party and one from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
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The lawmakers announced their defections in separate letters read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Wednesday.
Like those who had earlier defected, the senators said in their letters that their decisions were prompted by irreconcilable leadership crises within their respective parties.
Meanwhile, Mr Yaroe stated in his letter that his decision to join the ADC despite many political actors in his state defecting to the ruling party was informed by patriotism and a desire to prevent Nigeria from becoming a one-party state.
With the development, the ADC now has nine senators in the chamber.
New party established
Bayelsa West Senator, Seriake Dickson, formally notified the Senate, via a letter read by Mr Akpabio, of his crossing from the PDP to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a newly registered political party.
In the letter, Mr Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, who served from 2012 to 2020, said he founded the new party and is its national leader.
After reading the letter, the Senate president congratulated Mr Dickson for assuming a leadership role in the new party.
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With the development, the number of PDP senators has reduced to seven. The Deputy Minority Leader, Oyewunmi Olalere, had earlier announced his defection from the PDP to the Accord Party, although he has yet to formally notify the Senate through a letter.
The NDC is one of the two new political parties recently registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. The other party is the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA).
With the addition of the two parties, the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria has increased to 21.
