PDP Loses Three Senators to APC

Tinubu not responsible for defections, says Senate Leader

By James Adamu

The number of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators dropped to 30 on Tuesday as three members of the caucus defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the Senate.

Those who defected were former governor and minister, Sen. Adamu Aliero; Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi; and Sen. Garba Maidoki.

All three senators are from Kebbi State.

Aliero, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), represents Kebbi-Central Senatorial District, while Sen. Abdullahi, a former Senate Leader, represents Kebbi-North. Sen. Maidoki represents Kebbi-South.

Their defection letters were read to senators by the presiding Deputy Senate President, Sen. Barau Jibrin.

The defectors alluded to the internal leadership crisis in the PDP as the primary reason for dumping the leading opposition party.

They also expressed a desire to join President Bola Tinubu and support his bid to transform the country through his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

Aliero, himself a former governor of Kebbi State, in his letter, said politics was about service and solutions, adding that he would work on a platform that allowed him to effectively discharge service to his people.

“The PDP, as it currently stands, has internal divisions”, he stated.

According to him, “APC has shown encouraging signs of transformation” and growing commitment to prioritise national development.

He described the party as offering “a more viable platform on which I can serve my constituency.”

Sen. Abdullahi told his colleagues that defecting to APC was like “home-coming” for him, having been a member of the party in the 9th Senate before he defected, owing to some disputes.

“I am back to the APC again. It’s a home-coming event for me, moreso to join President Bola Tinubu in his drive to transform the country”, “ he said.

Abdullahi disowned the PDP, saying that the party was “going through existential challenges” following its loss of the 2023 elections.

“I have chosen to disengage from the PDP in good faith”, he added.

The National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, and many APC supporters and associates were at the Senate to witness the defection.

The defection increased the number of ACP senators to 68, while the PDP’s number dropped to 30.

The Labour Party has 5 senators, SDP has 2 , NNPP has 1, and APGA

Speaking to welcome the defectors amid singing and clapping by APC senators, the Majority Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, said the defection was “democracy at work.”

He disputed the feeling that the wave of defections to APC was caused by President Tinubu as part of his scheming to turn Nigeria into a one-party state and run as the sole candidate for the 2027 poll.

“Let me correct the wrong impression and narrative on social media that Tinubu is working to turn the country into a one-party state”, he said.

Bamidele recalled that when PDP was in power between 1999 and 2015, it made efforts to win more National Assembly seats and other political offices by getting them into the party.

He also argued that people would always want to be part of a system that they felt was working well, as could be said of the current APC government.

Besides, Bamidele pointed out that defectors were all eminent, accomplished Nigerians, who would not be influenced or coerced
by anybody before they would make a decision.

The leader also dismissed the impression that the 10th Senate was considered a rubber stamp of the executive.