Akpabio Declares ADC 'Dead' as Abaribe and Other Lawmakers Defect

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced during plenary that he believed the African Democratic Congress was 'dead,' as he presided over a fresh wave of defections that saw Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe quit the party for the Labour Party.

The Details

While presiding over Senate plenary, Akpabio read aloud a resignation letter from Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who said he was leaving the African Democratic Congress because of uncertainty surrounding the party. In his letter, Abaribe explicitly cited multiple lawsuits and court judgments as the reason for his departure. The letter also stated that he was joining the Labour Party effective immediately.

Akpabio responded to the announcement by declaring that those leaving the ADC should compile their resignations into a single document so the chamber would not have to keep announcing them. He said, 'All those defecting from ADC should just compile everything in one paper so that we don't keep announcing. I think ADC is dead.' The remark was delivered on the Senate floor as part of the formal proceedings.

According to reports of the chamber proceedings, Akpabio also directed a separate taunt at Abaribe, remarking, 'Senator, I should be asking you, "How many times have you defected in a month?"' The comment appeared to reference that Abaribe had only recently moved into the ADC before making this latest switch.

Abaribe was not the only lawmaker to defect during the session. Senators Victor Umeh and Rufai Hanga also left the party during the same plenary, according to media reports from the chamber. In the lower chamber, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas announced additional defections in the House of Representatives, indicating that the turmoil was not confined to the Senate alone.

Context

The chamber floor remarks came amid a broader period of opposition realignment in Nigeria ahead of the next national vote. The African Democratic Congress has faced visible internal legal and political strain in recent months. The resulting uncertainty has become a central reason cited by departing members.

The ADC-led opposition alliance had already started to fray before this latest wave of departures. Reuters separately reported that internal division and legal wrangles had caused two prominent figures, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, to leave the coalition for the Nigeria Democratic Congress. Their exit clouded the outlook for opposition unity ahead of the 2027 elections. The broader ADC-led coalition was intended to consolidate opposition forces, but the departures of Obi and Kwankwaso, combined with the Senate defections, have left the alliance in a weakened position.

What's Next

With the House of Representatives also recording defections on the same day, further erosion of the ADC's legislative presence appears likely. Abaribe's resignation letter explicitly cited ongoing legal uncertainty as his reason for leaving, and that same uncertainty was referenced by Reuters in its reporting on the broader coalition's collapse. Unless the ADC resolves its internal lawsuits and leadership disputes, additional lawmakers may follow the same path. The series of departures leaves the party facing questions about its ability to maintain a unified platform as Nigeria moves closer to the next electoral cycle.