ADC is dead, Akpabio says as Abaribe, other lawmakers dump party 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reacted to the growing number of defections from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the trend points to declining strength within the party, noting that, “I think ADC is dead.”

Akpabio made the comment during plenary while reading letters from lawmakers announcing their exit from the ADC. One of the letters was from Enyinnaya Abaribe, who confirmed his defection to the Labour Party.

Other are Victor Umeh, Anambra (Anambra Central), and Senator Rufai Hanga (Kano Central) who defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

During proceedings, the Senate President made a humorous remark directed at Abaribe, questioning the frequency of his party switches, a comment that drew laughter from fellow lawmakers.

He also urged members planning to defect to submit their notifications collectively to reduce repeated interruptions during plenary sessions.

Akpabio said the continued exits from the ADC reflect broader political shifts and could signal weakening cohesion within the party.

The development comes amid similar defections in the House of Representatives, where some lawmakers recently left the ADC to join the NDC, highlighting ongoing realignments across the National Assembly.