‘ADC ​​is Dead,’ Akpabio quipped as defections rocked the National Assembly

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday sparked backlash in the National Assembly after joking that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had collapsed, following a new wave of defections of lawmakers to other parties.

Akpabio made the remarks while presiding over a plenary session, shortly after the Senate announced the defection of several lawmakers, including Victor Umeh, who joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), citing internal crises and “incessant litigation” within the ADC.

“Resign from ADC and declare to the Labor Party. Maybe all those who defected from ADC should collect everything in one piece of paper and take it with them, so that we don’t keep announcing, announcing, announcing. Because I think ADC is dead,” said Akpabio, inviting a reaction from the assembly.

In a relaxed tone, the Senate President also questioned the increasing frequency of party defections among parliamentarians.

“How many times can you defect in a month? Once. But there are also up to three times,” he said, laughing.

He went so far as to suggest a more coordinated approach to dealing with defections in the Senate.

“So that it doesn’t become a daily ritual. If you defect from the Labor Party, write it all down. If you move from the ADC, write it all down. If you join the NDC, write it all down,” he added.

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During the session, Akpabio also read a letter from Enyinnaya Abaribe highlighting his movements in political parties in recent years.

“Note that Senator Abaribe has moved from APGA to ADC, and now he has moved from ADC to Labor,” he said, before joking that future announcements may no longer be handled individually.

The statement comes amidst wider political upheaval in the National Assembly, where no less than 16 members of the House of Representatives have also defected from the ADC to the NDC.

Among those who switched parties were Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, and several others, reflecting the growing unrest within the ADC.

In his resignation letter submitted in the Senate, Umeh attributed his resignation to the ongoing instability within the party.

He cited “lingering divisions in leadership and endless litigation” at ADC, and said the situation made continued membership untenable.

“I remain committed to contributing to the development of our beloved nation, but this time through the NDC,” he wrote.