(Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. Photo by Premuim times)
Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, caused a stir in the Red Chamber on Tuesday when he joked that the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the opposition coalition party, was “dead” in response to a recent wave of lawmakers defecting from the party.
Shortly after announcing that two ADC senators had defected to other political parties, including as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Labour Party (LP), Akpabio made the statement while presiding over plenary.
Victor Umeh of Anambra Central was one of those who defected to the NDC, claiming internal conflicts and “unending litigation” within the ADC.
Perhaps everyone who is defecting from ADC should just gather all of their information into a single document and bring it with them so that we don’t have to continually making announcements.
Because, in my opinion, ADC is dead,” Akpabio remarked, drawing reactions in the Red Chamber.
He asked in jest how often politicians defected, pointing out that some had switched parties several times in a short time.
How many times in a month are you able to defect? One time. However, some have done so three times,” he remarked.
In order to prevent what he called a “daily ritual” on the floor, he also suggested that lawmakers submit joint notices rather than individual letters in order to handle defections in a more organized manner.
Akpabio read Enyinnaya Abaribe’s letter of defection during the meeting, which detailed his transition from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the ADC and ultimately the LP.
As he read Abaribe’s letter of desertion on the Senate floor, Akpabio declared, “I think ADC is dead.”
Umeh stated in his letter of resignation that he could not continue to be a member of the ADC due to internal conflicts. “I’m still dedicated to helping our country grow, but this time through the NDC,” he declared.
In advance of the general election in 2027, the National Assembly is undergoing a more extensive party realignment.
According to LEADERSHIP, a lawmaker chose the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, while 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from ADC to the NDC.
