Four Senators elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing unresolved internal issues within the opposition party.
The defection was announced during Wednesday’s plenary session by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who read out individual letters from each of the lawmakers. In their letters, the Senators attributed their decision to what they described as “irreconcilable differences” within the PDP.
Akpabio directed that the letters be entered into the official records by the Clerk of the Senate.
The lawmakers who made the switch are Senators Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Oluwole Olubiyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), and Samson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South).
With the latest defections, the composition of the 10th Senate has shifted. The APC now holds 70 seats, while the PDP has 28. Other parties are represented as follows: Labour Party – 5, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – 1, Social Democratic Party (SDP) – 2, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – 1.
Present in the chamber to witness the announcement were APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, former Minister of Labour and Productivity Senator Chris Ngige, and several members of the House of Representatives, who attended in a show of solidarity.
