ADC Loses Senate Seats as Abaribe Defects to Labour Party, Umeh Joins NDC Amid Leadership Crisis
The African Democratic Congress has lost two Senate seats as Enyinnaya Abaribe and Victor Umeh defect to Labour Party and NDC, citing leadership and legal crises within the party.
The crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) escalated on Tuesday as two serving senators formally announced their defection from the party, further weakening its presence in the National Assembly.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South, defected to the Labour Party, while Senator Victor Umeh of Anambra Central joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Their decisions were conveyed in separate letters addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and read during plenary.
Both lawmakers cited the protracted leadership disputes and ongoing litigation within the ADC as the primary reasons for abandoning the party, describing the situation as politically uncertain ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to them, the internal instability has made it difficult for politicians to confidently operate under the party’s platform.
The development marks another setback for the ADC, which has been grappling with internal divisions over its leadership structure and legal battles that have cast doubt on its organisational stability.
In a related move, the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Rufai Hanga of Kano Central, also announced his defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The latest defections have strengthened the NDC’s presence in the Senate, increasing its membership from one to three. The party’s founder, Senator Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa West, had earlier joined the platform on March 31 alongside a group of defecting lawmakers.
The shifting allegiances have further altered the composition of the Senate, reflecting ongoing political realignments ahead of future elections.
Following the latest changes, the current distribution of seats in the upper legislative chamber stands at:
All Progressives Congress (APC) – 88 seatsAfrican Democratic Congress (ADC) – 8 seatsPeoples Democratic Party (PDP) – 4 seats
A total of 105 seats are currently occupied, with four seats vacant due to deaths of lawmakers and one appointment to a permanent diplomatic position at the United Nations.
Political observers say the wave of defections underscores the growing uncertainty within smaller political parties, particularly those facing internal disputes, as lawmakers reposition ahead of the next election cycle.
For the ADC, the loss of key figures in the Senate is seen as a significant blow, raising fresh concerns about its cohesion and electoral prospects moving forward.