The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cemented its dominance in the Senate, now controlling 72 of the 109 seats, after Senator Ahmed Wadada of Nasarawa West returned to the ruling party from the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Wadada, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, had left the APC in 2022 to contest on the SDP platform, where he won his election. In a letter dated September 2, he announced his return, saying he was rejoining the APC to contribute to its growth and success.
His defection further reduces the strength of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which now has 28 senators. The Labour Party holds five seats, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has two. Both the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and SDP are left with one senator each.
The PDP’s decline follows a string of recent defections. Just two months ago, four senators — Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Oluwole Olubiyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), and Samson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South) — moved to the APC. They cited internal divisions, frustrations with party leadership, and political realignments in their states as reasons for leaving.
One of the defectors, Bassey, described the PDP as “fractured beyond redemption,” while Senator Ekong pointed to shifting alliances in Akwa Ibom State, saying his people expected rewards from the APC’s growing influence.
Welcoming the new members, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele hinted that more defections could be on the way, describing the trend as “a sign of things to come.”
