SENATORS FAULT ABARIBE’S MOVE TO DUMP APGA FOR ADC, WARN HE RISKS LOSING SENATE SEAT

Tension erupted in Nigeria’s Senate after Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South, announced his decision to dump the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move some lawmakers say could cost him his seat in the National Assembly.

The controversy began when Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Abaribe’s letter of defection during plenary, confirming that the veteran lawmaker had joined the ADC alongside several other senators who recently switched parties.

However, the development quickly drew objections from some senators who argued that Abaribe’s move might violate constitutional provisions governing party defections in the legislature. Under Nigeria’s constitution, lawmakers who defect from the political party under which they were elected risk losing their seats unless the move is justified by a division or crisis within the party.

Leading the opposition to the defection, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele argued that Abaribe’s seat could be declared vacant if it is established that there is no internal crisis within APGA that would legally justify the move. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin also raised similar concerns, insisting that constitutional rules must be followed.

Responding to the objections, Abaribe maintained that his decision was justified because he had already been expelled from APGA months earlier. He urged the Senate leadership to accept his resignation from the party, insisting that he could not remain affiliated with a party that had already removed him from its membership.

Despite the explanation, the Senate leadership asked the Abia lawmaker to provide documentary evidence of his alleged expulsion from APGA. He was reportedly given about one week to submit proof while the chamber reviews the legality of his defection before taking a final decision on the matter.

Abaribe’s defection comes amid a wider political realignment in Nigeria’s Senate, where nine senators from different parties recently announced their move to the ADC, potentially reshaping the balance of power in the upper legislative chamber ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As the debate continues, the fate of the Abia South senator now hangs in the balance, with legal and constitutional interpretations likely to determine whether he retains his seat or faces the prospect of a by-election in his constituency.