The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday strengthened its majority in the Senate following the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu, representing Enugu East Senatorial District, from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio formally announced Chukwu’s defection during plenary, confirming that the APC now controls 73 out of 109 seats in the 10th Senate. The figure gives the ruling party a solid two-thirds majority, further consolidating its dominance in the upper chamber.
Chukwu, who succeeded his late brother, Oyibo Chukwu, after his assassination ahead of the 2023 elections, attributed his decision to the deepening internal divisions within the Labour Party.
“The protracted crisis rocking the LP, which has led to its factionalisation, is seriously affecting its members,” he said.
His exit leaves the Labour Party with only four senators nationwide and just one representative from Enugu State, Senator Okey Ezea (Enugu North).
By current composition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds 28 seats, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have one each, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) retains two.
The defection marks another significant political gain for the APC, coming months after four opposition senators—Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Oluwole Olubiyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East), and Samson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South)—dumped the PDP amid internal rifts.
At the plenary, Akpabio took a swipe at the opposition, describing the latest defection as proof of growing disarray within minority parties.
“I want a strong and vibrant opposition in Nigeria,” Akpabio said. “But where they are not able to organise themselves and all the political parties are in tatters, the right thing is to join us so we can move this country forward. The PDP is on the ground, the umbrella is torn. Labour Party is in tatters. Accord Party is no more. The ADC even crashed before it took off.”
Amid laughter in the chamber, the Senate President congratulated APC senators for “gaining a strong senatorial district in Enugu” before inviting Minority Leader Abba Moro to respond.
Moro, visibly displeased, maintained that the opposition remained steadfast despite the defections.
“No matter the number here, we are capable of holding our own,” he said. “Those who are gravitating towards the majority side are exercising their rights. But I wish my brother and friend, Kelvin, who has just left the third row for the last row, good luck.”
He added pointedly that Chukwu had not consulted him before leaving the Labour Party. “He came here on the back of the Obidient Movement, on a sympathy vote. But that’s a story for another day,” Moro remarked.
He further quipped, “This house is becoming too full, Mr. President, and it should be of concern to you. For the rest of us who are still here, we will try to remain until 2027.”
Political observers note that the continuing wave of defections is gradually reshaping the power dynamics in the National Assembly, sparking concerns that an increasingly one-party Senate could weaken oversight functions and diminish the vitality of opposition politics in Nigeria’s democracy.
