KEY POINTS

• Three Kebbi senators—Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki—defected from the PDP to the APC, increasing the ruling party’s Senate majority to 68.

• The defection strengthens the APC’s political position and follows a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

• The House of Representatives rejected seven constitutional amendment bills, failing to pass them during a second reading.

The Senate has confirmed the defection of three prominent senators from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of Nigeria.

Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) officially announced their move to the ruling party during a plenary session on Tuesday, following their resignation from the opposition PDP.

This move strengthens the APC’s majority in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, bringing the party’s total number of senators to 68.

The new composition of the Senate, post-defection, stands at APC with 68 seats, PDP with 30, Labour Party with 5, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with 1, Social Democratic Party (SDP) with 2, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) with 1.

Defection increases APC’s Senate majority

The formal defection of these senators was celebrated by APC leaders, including the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, and Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Yusuf Sununu, who were all present at the plenary session.

Channelstv reported the three senators had previously announced their decision to join the APC following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

This has not only boosted the party’s position in the Senate but also signaled further consolidation of the ruling party’s influence in the National Assembly.

Senator Adamu Aliero, who had previously served as the governor of Kebbi State, has been a prominent figure in Nigerian politics for years. Yahaya Abdullahi, the former Senate Majority Leader, and Garba Maidoki are also well-known in the political circles of Kebbi State, and their defection is seen as a blow to the PDP’s hopes of maintaining significant influence in the Senate.

The defection of these three senators comes at a time when the APC continues to dominate Nigerian politics, both at the federal level and within many state governments. With the new additions, the APC’s position in the Senate is now even more unassailable, as it holds a substantial majority, which will undoubtedly affect the dynamics of future legislative decisions.