Godswill Akpabio, senate president on Tuesday stirred reactions in the chamber after declaring that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was effectively finished.
This follows a fresh wave of defections by lawmakers.
Akpabio made the remark during plenary shortly after the Senate announced the defection of several members, including Victor Umeh, who joined the National Democratic Congress (NDC), citing internal divisions and prolonged legal disputes within the ADC.
“Maybe all those defecting from ADC should just compile everything in one paper… because I think ADC is dead,” Akpabio said, drawing laughter and reactions from lawmakers.
Speaking in a lighter tone, the Senate President questioned the increasing frequency of defections, suggesting a more coordinated approach to announcing such moves on the floor.
“How many times can you defect in a month? Once. But some have done three times,” he joked.
He proposed that lawmakers intending to switch parties should submit joint letters, rather than individual notices, to avoid what he described as a repetitive process during plenary.
During the session, Akpabio also highlighted the political movements of Enyinnaya Abaribe, noting his transitions across multiple parties in recent years.
The comments come amid a broader political realignment in the National Assembly, where several lawmakers in both chambers have recently exited the ADC for other parties, particularly the NDC and the Labour Party.
In his resignation letter, Umeh attributed his departure to “lingering divisions in the leadership and unending litigation” within the ADC, stating that the situation had made continued membership untenable.
The growing wave of defections is expected to further weaken the ADC’s influence in the legislature, while reshaping party dynamics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
