By James Adamu, Abuja
The ruling All Progressives Congress continues to consolidate its position in the red chamber of the National Assembly, as three opposition senators from Kebbi (PDP) defected to its ranks on Tuesday, increasing its membership to 68 in the Red Chamber
Three senators – Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) – officially crossed over to the ruling APC during Tuesday’s Senate session. The move came after the lawmakers met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Friday to settle their defection plans.
Despite the high-profile exits, the Kebbi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) remains unfazed, insisting the departures won’t weaken its position in the northwestern state.
The defections mark the latest blow to Nigeria’s main opposition party, leaving the PDP with just 30 senators. Meanwhile, the Labour Party (LP) holds five seats, followed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with two. Both the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) retain a single senator each.
The Senate now has two vacant seats – Edo Central, after Monday Okpebholo’s election as governor, and Anambra South, following the passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.**
In a letter read aloud in the chamber, Senator Aliero – a former Kebbi governor and ex-Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister – explained his decision came after “thorough deliberation, wide-ranging consultations, and careful evaluation” of both national issues and his constituents’ needs.
“I have made the decision to formally resign my membership of the PDP and rejoin the APC, of which I was a founding member.
“Politics must never be about personal loyalty to a platform. It will always be about service, solutions and results.
“The PDP has become disconnected from the aspirations of the very Nigerians it seeks to lead,” he said, blaming the party’s internal divisions and lack of ideological clarity.
He expressed renewed confidence in the APC’s leadership, describing it as “a more viable platform through which I can effectively serve my constituents.”
Abdullahi in his letter, described his return to the APC as a “homecoming,” noting that the issues that led to his initial exit from the party in 2022 had been resolved by the current the governor.
“I believe it is in the best interest of the constituency that I represent to take this step. It is politically imperative for me to join President Bola Tinubu by providing my legislative knowledge and experience to support the efforts that the President is making in reinventing Nigeria.”
Reacting to the defections, the leadership of the Senate dismissed arguments that members of the opposition were moving to the ruling APC to avoid prosecution or for other sinister interests.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole, in their separate comments, noted that such defections are not strange in a democratic setting.
Bamidele said: “No one is being coerced. If anyone will be coerced, definitely it is not Senator Aliero, it is not Prof Yahaya Abdulahi that will be coerced. Neither is it Senator Maidoki who had also made a mark at the private sector before he came into politics to replicate the same feat.”
The Deputy Senate President who congratulated President Tinubu and the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, who was present at the Red Chamber to witness the defections, described the influx of defectors into the ruling party as an indication that both the President and the party chairman are working well.
He said: “Let me congratulate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for this very big gain by the ruling party. Congratulation also goes to the national chairman of the party for this gain. Of course, he and the President have been working together and we have seen the results in the number of people coming to the party.
“It’s just a sign that the government is doing well and that’s why people are attracted because of the performance of the government.
“So, all we need to tell Mr. President is that we commend what he’s doing. We also commend the government of Kebbi State the presence of your governor here shows that you are working in harmony with your people.”
Oshiomhole, who reacted to the defection on a television programme last night, dismissed concerns that the APC’s two-thirds majority in the National Assembly poses a threat to democracy.
He emphasized that the influx of defectors will not in any way stifle robust and objective parliamentary debates.
The former Edo governor said: “Whether this is dangerous for democracy, I don’t think so. If you follow debates in the House, sometimes you can’t distinguish between PDP or the APC. It depends on the position people take. The diversity of Nigeria is better served at the national level because every interest is represented.”
With Ganduje to witness the defections were Kebbi Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris; former Kebbi governor Saidu Dakingari; Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Yusuf Sununu; Senator Uche Ekwunife; Farouk Lawan and the Secretary to the Kebbi State Government among others.
Discussion about this post