Amid growing political tensions and internal crises within opposition parties, nine senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The defections were announced during plenary at the National Assembly on Thursday.
The senators who switched allegiance include Senator Ireti Kingibe (FCT), who moved from the Labour Party to the ADC; Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (Nasarawa South), formerly of the PDP; and Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto South), also from the PDP.
Others are Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe (Adamawa South) and Senator Austin Akobundu (Abia Central), both of the PDP; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), who defected from APGA; as well as Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and Senator Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), who both left the Labour Party for the ADC.
Senator Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna Central) also joined the ADC after leaving the PDP.
Earlier during plenary, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed that six members of the PDP had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kalu further announced that six other lawmakers from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the Labour Party had also moved to the African Democratic Congress.
The notices of defection were formally read on the floor of the House during the plenary session.
