The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) received a major boost in the Senate on Tuesday following the defection of all three senators representing Kebbi State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, led members of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to the Red Chamber in a symbolic show of strength and solidarity as the defections were formally announced.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over Tuesday’s plenary, acknowledged the presence of the APC leaders and described them as “August visitors” before announcing the defections.
Among those who defected was Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), a prominent lawmaker and former governor, who in his letter cited deepening internal crises within the PDP as his reason for leaving the opposition.
Also crossing over to the ruling party was Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), former Senate Leader in the 9th Assembly. He similarly attributed his decision to unresolved party conflicts and declared his alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The third senator, Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South), also defected to the APC, completing the political sweep of Kebbi State’s Senate representation. Like his colleagues, Maidoki expressed confidence in Tinubu’s leadership despite Nigeria’s ongoing security and economic challenges.
In their respective letters read on the Senate floor, all three lawmakers pointed to the prevailing crisis in the PDP as a key factor in their decisions, while emphasizing their belief in the APC’s policy direction and leadership vision.
Their defections come at a time when the APC is tightening its grip on the National Assembly amid a wave of alignments and realignments across the political landscape.
The high-profile visit by Ganduje and NEC members underlines the significance the party attaches to consolidating its legislative strength, especially ahead of future political battles.
With these latest moves, the APC further cements its dominance in the Senate, signaling a growing momentum behind President Tinubu’s administration despite persistent national concerns.
