Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh, Rufai Sani Hanga Defect from African Democratic Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party to Labour Party, National Democratic Congress
Fresh defections shook the Senate on Tuesday as key lawmakers switched party allegiance.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Labour Party, while Senator Victor Umeh defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC). In a similar move, Senate Minority Whip Rufai Sani Hanga dumped the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the NDC.
Their decisions were officially communicated in separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read on the Senate floor.
The latest wave of defections signals shifting political alliances ahead of upcoming political developments in the country.
In their letters, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe and Victor Umeh cited lingering leadership crises and prolonged internal litigation within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the main reasons for their exit.
They noted that the party’s instability has made it an unreliable platform as political actors begin to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fresh defections have reshaped the political landscape in the Senate as lawmakers continue to realign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Senator Victor Umeh dumped the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing lingering leadership crises and prolonged litigation that have made the party unstable and unreliable.
In a separate move, Senate Minority Whip Rufai Sani Hanga also left the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), further boosting the ranks of the relatively new party in the Red Chamber.
With these defections, the NDC now has three serving senators, including its founder, Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West), who had earlier joined the party.
The latest shifts have significantly altered the party balance in the Senate. The All Progressives Congress (APC) still holds a dominant 88 seats, followed by the ADC with eight, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with four, and the NDC with three. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party retain one seat each, bringing the total number of occupied seats to 105.
Four seats remain vacant—Enugu North, Nasarawa North, Rivers South East, and Ondo South—following the deaths of three senators and the appointment of one to a permanent position at the United Nations.
