ABUJA: The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has further strengthened its control of the Senate following the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC.
Chukwu, who represents Enugu East Senatorial District, formally announced his defection during Wednesday’s plenary session.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read his letter and welcomed him to the ruling party’s fold.
With Chukwu’s defection, the APC now holds 73 out of 109 seats, giving it a solid two-thirds majority in the 10th Senate and tightening its dominance of the upper legislative chamber.
Chukwu, who succeeded his late brother, Oyibo Chukwu, after the 2023 elections, attributed his decision to the persistent internal crisis within the Labour Party, which he said had rendered the party factionalised and ineffective.
The protracted crisis rocking the LP has seriously affected its members,” he said.
His departure leaves only four LP senators in the chamber, with Senator Okey Ezea (Enugu North) now the only Labour representative from Enugu State.
Other parties now hold the following seats: PDP (28), SDP (1), NNPP (1), and APGA (2).
Senate President Akpabio used the occasion to mock the opposition, saying, The PDP’s umbrella is torn, the Labour Party is in tatters, and other parties are no longer standing. When they can’t organise themselves, the right thing is to join us so we can move the country forward.”
Minority Leader Abba Moro, however, dismissed the taunts, saying the opposition remains determined despite losing members.
No matter the number here, we can hold our own. Those moving to the majority side are exercising their rights, but we’ll remain until 2027, Moro said.
Political observers say the wave of defections has tilted the Senate heavily in favour of the ruling party, raising concerns that Nigeria’s legislative oversight could weaken under near one-party dominance.
