Senate proceedings took a lighter turn on Tuesday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio joked that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had effectively collapsed following a fresh wave of defections.
The comment came during plenary, moments after lawmakers formally announced their exit from the party.
Among them was Victor Umeh, who moved to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), blaming internal wrangling and ongoing court battles within the ADC.
Reacting, Akpabio quipped that the repeated announcements were becoming excessive.
“Maybe those leaving should just submit everything at once so we don’t keep announcing it every day,” he said, drawing laughter from colleagues. “Because, as far as I’m concerned, ADC is dead.”
He went further, poking fun at the frequency with which some politicians switch parties.
“How many times can you defect in a month? Once? But some have done it three times,” he added, still in a joking tone.
Akpabio suggested a more organised way of handling such moves, proposing that lawmakers submit group notices instead of individual letters to avoid what he described as a “daily ritual” on the Senate floor.
The Senate President also read out a letter from Enyinnaya Abaribe, highlighting his political journey across parties from APGA to ADC, and now to the Labour Party.
Behind the humour, however, is a serious political shift.
The ADC has been hit by a string of high-profile exits in recent days, with lawmakers citing leadership disputes and unresolved legal issues.
The movement isn’t limited to the Senate. In the House of Representatives, at least 16 members have also dumped the ADC for the NDC, signalling a broader realignment ahead of the 2027 elections.
In his resignation, Umeh made it clear the decision wasn’t taken lightly, pointing to “lingering divisions” and “unending litigation” within the party as reasons he could no longer stay.
He added that he remains committed to national development but will now pursue that goal under a new political platform.
