By Achile Danjuma
In a significant realignment on the Senate floor, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has bolstered its ranks after welcoming three senators who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Senators Amos Yohanna (Adamawa North), Aminu Abbas (Adamawa Central), and Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara North) officially crossed the aisle on Wednesday. Their letters of defection, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, leaned heavily on the constitutional provision allowing lawmakers to switch parties without losing their seats if their original party is engulfed in a crisis.
The trio strategically invoked Section 68(1G) of the 1999 Constitution to shield their seats from recall petitions. Yohanna and Abbas meticulously detailed the “internal divisions,” “leadership tussles,” and “multiple court cases” plaguing the PDP’s national leadership, arguing that these factors have rendered the party unstable.
While the internal crisis was a common thread, Senator Bilbis introduced a pragmatic political reason: the need to align with the federal government. His mention of supporting President Bola Tinubu’s “national agenda” highlights the lure of the APC as the ruling party, offering defectors greater access to resources and influence.
These defections are a major blow to the PDP’s minority bloc in the Senate and raise questions about the opposition’s ability to maintain cohesion ahead of future electoral cycles. For the APC, it solidifies their control of the legislative agenda.