- Swell ruling party number to 72 in red chamber
The Senate on Wednesday formally received four lawmakers who have defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The latest development has further strengthened the party’s hold on the upper Legislative chamber.
On the defectors’ list are: Senator Etim Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), Senator Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South), Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), and Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central).
The occasion saw the Senate relaxing its rules to allow the presence of some high-profile APC officials in the chamber to witness the wave of defections.
Among the party’s top shot were National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; Chairman of the APC in Osun State, Tajudeen Lawal; members of the House of Representatives, and former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
With this latest shift, the APC now has a commanding majority of 70 seats in the 10th Senate, up from the 50 seats held at the commencement of the current Assembly in June 2023.
The PDP’s numbers have now depleted to 28, while the ruling APC’s gain has also come from a series of defections from other opposition parties as the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Commenting on this development, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the defections should be considered as a demonstration of democratic principles in action.
According to him, “For us, it is not just about the numbers. We have a serious job ahead to ensure that members and stakeholders remain committed to the ideals of our party.
“We are doing everything possible to move Nigeria to the next level, and we do not take this momentum for granted.”
