“I think ADC is dead” — Akpabio Reacts to Wave of Defections in Senate

Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday used a wave of defections from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to other political parties to suggest that the opposition platform is weakening, remarking during plenary, “I think ADC is dead.”

The comment came while he was reading out formal resignation letters from lawmakers who had left the ADC, including Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, who announced his move to the Labour Party.

During the session, Akpabio highlighted what he described as the increasing frequency of party switching among legislators, joking that multiple announcements of defections were becoming repetitive on the Senate floor.

“I am being asked, how many times can you defect in a month?” he said, drawing reactions from lawmakers present. He also referenced Senator Adamu Aliero in the exchange, asking, “As an elder statesman, how many times can you defect in a month?”

Aliero responded briefly, “Once,” prompting Akpabio to add, “But some have done so three times. Is it as the spirit directs or the voice of the gods?”

One of the resignation letters read during the session cited internal divisions within the ADC, including ongoing legal disputes, as the basis for leaving the party. The senator behind the letter said the decision to move to the Labour Party was driven by developments within the ADC.

Akpabio, while concluding the reading, noted that the letter did not include details of consultations with constituents, adding that it mainly requested acceptance of the senator’s decision and “highest regards” to colleagues.

The exchanges triggered moments of laughter in the chamber as lawmakers reacted to the tone of the remarks and the repeated defections being presented.