Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo, representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District, has officially resigned his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), just five months after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a resignation letter dated July 2, 2026, addressed to the ADC chairman in Galadimawa Ward, Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, the lawmaker stated that his resignation took effect from June 15, 2026.
Onawo attributed his decision to the party’s lingering internal crisis and protracted legal disputes at the national level, which he said no longer provide the stability required for effective representation.
According to his resignation letter: “This decision is the outcome of careful reflection and wide-ranging consultations with my constituents, political associates, and other critical stakeholders. It is driven by my firm belief that the prevailing circumstances within the current party structure and the endless legal battles it is currently embroiled in no longer offer the cohesion, support, and enabling environment required for me to focus squarely on effectively representing my constituents and to fully realise the developmental and progressive mandate they entrusted to me.”
The senator expressed appreciation to party members for their support during his tenure in the ADC and wished the party success, though he did not disclose his next political destination.
Onawo’s resignation from the ADC came five months after he left the PDP in January 2026, citing “personal reasons” after years of membership in the opposition party. In March 2026, he was among nine senators who formally defected to the ADC, alongside prominent lawmakers including Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), and Ireti Kingibe (FCT), among others.
At the time of his defection to the ADC, Onawo stated that the move was “informed by my commitment to promoting the tenets of democracy, strengthening the ideals of a vibrant multi-party system, and joining hands with well-meaning Nigerians who are committed to advancing good governance, national unity, and sustainable development”.
Senator Onawo, who holds the traditional title of Ciroman Doma, is a seasoned politician who has won elections five times—twice as a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly (where he served as Speaker from 2003 to 2007), twice as a member of the House of Representatives representing Awe/Doma/Keana Constituency, and once as a Senator representing Nasarawa South. His victory in the 2023 Senate election was considered a major political upset, as he defeated former Nasarawa State Governor and incumbent Senator Tanko Al-Makura of the APC.
His resignation from the ADC is expected to reshape political alignments in Nasarawa State and the wider North-Central zone, with observers closely watching his next political move ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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