“ADC Is Dead” — Akpabio
Senate President Godswill Akpabio sparked laughter on the floor of the upper chamber on Tuesday when he declared that the African Democratic Congress was effectively finished, following a fresh wave of defections that saw lawmakers abandon the party for the Nigerian Democratic Congress and the Labour Party.
Akpabio made the remark while presiding over plenary, shortly after the Senate formally processed a string of defection announcements, including that of Senator Victor Umeh, who cited internal crises and unresolved legal disputes within the ADC as reasons for joining the NDC.
“I think ADC is dead,” Akpabio declared, drawing audible reactions across the chamber, after noting the relentless parade of defection letters arriving on the Senate floor.
In characteristic fashion, the Senate President suggested a more efficient method for handling the exits, proposing that departing lawmakers submit collective lists rather than announce movements one by one.
“So that it does not look like a daily ritual. If you are defecting from Labour, you write all of you. If you are moving from ADC, you write all of you. If you are entering NDC, you write all of you,” he said.
Akpabio also turned a humorous spotlight on the frequency of some lawmakers’ movements between parties.
“How many times can you defect in a month? Once. But some have done three times,” he laughed.
Among those whose defection letters were read during the sitting was Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. Akpabio noted the trajectory of his political journey with visible amusement.
“Note that Senator Abaribe has moved from APGA to ADC, and now he has moved from ADC to Labour Party,” the Senate President said, before suggesting that future announcements would no longer be processed individually on the floor.
In his resignation letter, Umeh cited what he described as “lingering divisions in the leadership and unending litigation” within the ADC, saying the internal dysfunction made continued membership untenable.
“I remain committed to making my contributions towards the development of our dear nation, but this time through the NDC,” Umeh wrote.
The drama was not confined to the Senate. No fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives also announced their departure from the ADC to the NDC during a sitting of the Green Chamber. The defecting lawmakers include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, and Lilian Orogbu, among others.
The mass exodus marks a significant moment in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape, with the ADC appearing unable to contain the internal tensions that have driven successive waves of departures. The NDC, a relatively new platform associated with former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, appears to be emerging as the preferred destination for those fleeing the ADC.