Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, threw banters on the floor of the Senate yesterday following the defection of two senators from Taraba State to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senators Shuaibu Lau (Taraba North) and Haruna Manu (Taraba Central) formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a move that further deepened the numerical dominance of the APC in the 10th Senate.
Meanwhile, the Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu East), came under scrutiny for continuing to occupy the office of Minority Whip despite resigning from the PDP and joining the APC.
Their defections were conveyed in separate letters addressed to the Senate and read by Akpabio during plenary.
Reading Manu’s letter entitled ‘Notification of resignation’, the Senate President said the lawmaker attributed his decision to wide consultations and a reassessment of Nigeria’s political realities. Akpabio also read a similar defection letter from Senator Lau, who cited concerns over the internal direction of the PDP.
Following the reading of the letters, the two senators were warmly received by members of the APC Senate Caucus, drawing cheers from the majority benches.
Akpabio then took a swipe at the opposition, openly mocking the dwindling strength of the minority caucus and inviting Moro to react.
Rising to speak, the Minority Leader downplayed the political significance of the defections, describing them as a familiar post-election trend.
“I feel a little sad that a few persons sitting on the same platform with me on the PDP side have suddenly decided to move to another platform with my mandate. But I don’t feel offended because their explanation, honestly, is incorrect. They said the decision was taken after wide consultations. Mr President, we are all here,” he stated.
With the new development, the composition of the Senate now stands at APC – 80; PDP – 21; Labour Party – 2; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – 1; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – 1 and African Democratic Congress – 1.
1t was gathered that Ngwu formally resigned from PDP and has registered as a member of the ruling party in his ward in Enugu State.
The Minority Whip position in the Senate is constitutionally and traditionally reserved for members of the opposition or minority caucus. Critics argue that Ngwu’s continued occupation of the seat violates international parliamentary norms and undermines the integrity of the Senate’s leadership structure.
Political observers have expressed concerns that by delaying an official announcement of his defection on the Senate floor, Ngwu is effectively retaining the privileges and benefits of the Minority Whip office.
According to reports, he is set to collect these entitlements in the final week of February 2025 before formally declaring his defection publicly early March.
In a recent interview, Senator Ngwu confirmed his defection to the APC.