A heated exchange unfolded in the Senate on Thursday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio threatened to declare the seat of Abia South Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe vacant following his defection from the All Progressives Grand Alliance to the African Democratic Congress.
The development came as eight other senators moved from minority parties to the ADC, while one senator joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress during plenary, sparking a constitutional debate over Section 68 (1)(b) and (g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The senators who joined the ADC include Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna Central), Mohammed Onawo (Nasarawa South), Austin Akobundu (Abia Central), Ireti Kingibe (FCT), and Enyinnaya Abaribe. Additionally, a letter of defection from Senator Seriake Dickson to the NDC was formally read on the floor.
While most of the defectors cited internal divisions in their former parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party — to justify their action, Abaribe’s letter did not indicate any crisis within APGA, causing a debate on its legality.
Apparently seizing on that omission, the Senate leadership raised questions over the legality of the Abia South senator’s defection and whether the constitutional provision requiring lawmakers to vacate their seats should be invoked against him.
Acting on the directive of the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, rose under Order 20 of the Senate Standing Rules to challenge Abaribe’s defection. Jibrin told the chamber that while he had reviewed the letters of defection read by Akpabio, Abaribe’s case stood out because APGA was not known to be facing any division or crisis at the national level.
“Mr President, as directed by you, I have gone through the letters forwarded to you and read by you on the defections of the senators into the ADC,” he said.
“I strongly observed that one of the parties — APGA — from which Senator Abaribe defected is not engulfed by any crisis or division, particularly at the national level.
“Abaribe’s defection, as clearly stated in Section 68(1)(b) and (g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, is against the provisions of the law and warrants you to do the needful as far as the Abia South senatorial seat is concerned.”
Jibrin noted that the Constitution provides that a member of the National Assembly shall vacate his seat if he defects from the political party that sponsored his election, except where such defection is caused by a division in the party or a merger involving the party.
Following the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio invited Enyinnaya Abaribe to respond to questions over his defection. Abaribe explained that he had been expelled from All Progressives Grand Alliance in September 2025, leaving him without a party, which prompted his move to the African Democratic Congress.
“I was sacked from APGA since September 2025. Since one must belong to a political party to be in the Senate, I had to join another platform,” Abaribe stated.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele argued that Abaribe’s expulsion could itself trigger the constitutional provision under Section 68(1)(b) requiring him to vacate his seat. Akpabio then directed the Senate to review the constitutional implications and gave Abaribe one week to either withdraw his defection letter or justify his action.
Meanwhile, Senator Seriake Dickson formally notified the Senate of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Nigeria Democratic Congress”].
With these moves, the African Democratic Congress now has nine senators, becoming the largest opposition party, while the PDP’s numbers fell to seven. The Senate composition currently stands at 87 for the All Progressives Congress, nine for the ADC, seven for the PDP, and one each for APGA, New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the NDC.