The All Progressives Congress (APC) has further consolidated its hold on the 10th Senate, following the defection of four senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pushing the ruling party’s tally from 66 to 70 seats.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, expressed elation over the development, describing it as a testament to increasing confidence in the APC’s leadership and governance agenda.
At Thursday’s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read letters from Senators Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East), and Sampson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South), formally announcing their defection to the APC.
The defectors cited internal turmoil within the PDP, including protracted factional disputes, unresolved leadership crises, and ongoing litigations, as key drivers of their departure—issues they claimed have rendered the party unstable and ineffective.
Senator Bassey aligned himself with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, pledging to contribute to what he termed “inclusive, progressive, and development-focused governance.” Senator Fadahunsi echoed similar sentiments, stating he could no longer operate within a party plagued by disunity and distrust.
With the latest defections, the PDP’s Senate representation has dwindled from 36 at the start of the current session in June 2023 to 28. The Labour Party now holds five seats, the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) is reduced to one, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) retains two, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) holds a single seat. Two constituencies—Edo Central and Anambra South—remain vacant pending by-elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The APC now requires just three additional seats to reach a two-thirds majority (73 seats) in the red chamber.
Addressing the chamber, Bamidele congratulated Senate President Akpabio, President Tinubu, and APC leaders in the affected states, asserting that the growing influx into the party demands deeper responsibility.
“This moment goes beyond numbers—it is a renewed call for the APC to re-engineer its guiding principles and ensure meaningful dividends of democracy for the Nigerian people,” Bamidele stated.
