GODSWILL-AKPABIO
Ola Wale
Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared on May 5, 2026 that the *African Democratic Congress (ADC) is “dead”* after a fresh wave of defections hit the National Assembly. He made the comment during plenary while reading out resignation letters from ADC lawmakers, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South who announced his move to the Labour Party.
Akpabio’s remark came as the Senate announced multiple ADC members had switched to other parties, mainly the *National Democratic Congress (NDC)* and the *Labour Party*. Senator Victor Umeh was among those who left for the NDC, citing “persistent leadership crises and prolonged legal battles within the ADC” as the reason. Abaribe himself said his decision was based on “pronounced leadership crisis rocking the ADC, occasioned by multiple legal suits within the party.
The Senate President jokingly suggested that defecting lawmakers should submit a single consolidated letter instead of making repeated individual announcements on the floor. “Maybe all those defecting from ADC should just compile everything in one paper and bring it, so that we don’t keep announcing, announcing, announcing. Because I think ADC is dead,” he said, drawing laughter from senators. He also teased the frequency of party-switching, asking how many times a lawmaker could defect in a month, noting that “some have done three times.
The defections weren’t limited to the Senate. In the House of Representatives, *17 lawmakers formally dumped the ADC for the NDC* on the same day, also blaming unresolved internal crises from the national to ward level. The exodus follows high-profile departures by former presidential candidates *Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso*, who joined the NDC on May 4 alongside other ADC leaders.
Akpabio’s comment appears to be both a jab at the opposition coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027 and a reflection of the ADC’s current instability. He added that Nigeria needs a “strong and vibrant opposition,” but suggested that where parties can’t organise themselves, they should align with the ruling APC to move the country forward.
Abaribe’s move is particularly notable because it’s his third party switch in recent years — from APGA to ADC, and now to Labour Party. The defections are reshaping the balance of power among minority parties in both chambers ahead of the 2027 general elections.
