APC has inched toward Senate Supermajority as four PDP Senators defect to the ruling party.
In a dramatic shake-up within Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is now just three seats shy of clinching a two-thirds majority in the Senate, a crucial constitutional benchmark that would give the party sweeping powers to amend laws, override presidential vetoes, and potentially initiate impeachment proceedings without cross-party consensus.
The political arithmetic shifted decisively on Wednesday after four senators elected under the banner of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crossed over to the APC. Their defections, announced during plenary and confirmed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, mark a turning point in the evolving balance of power within the National Assembly.
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The defecting lawmakers are:
Sampson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South)
Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East)
Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East)
Fadeyi Olubiyi (Osun Central)
Each senator cited “deep-seated divisions” and “irreconcilable differences” within the PDP as motivating factors behind their departure, though political observers point to broader realignments in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
The announcement was made in the full glare of the public, with APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru and former Labour Minister Chris Ngige in attendance, underscoring the symbolic weight of the moment.
With the defections, the APC now commands 70 of the Senate’s 107 occupied seats, leaving just three short of the 73 needed for a two-thirds majority. The current Senate composition stands as follows:
APC – 70 seats
PDP – 28 seats
Labour Party (LP) – 5 seats
Social Democratic Party (SDP) – 2 seats
New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – 1 seat
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – 1 seat
Vacant – 2 seats (Anambra South, Edo Central)
Political analysts warn that with the APC inching closer to full legislative dominance, the checks and balances fundamental to democratic governance could face mounting strain.
“If they reach 73, it becomes a supermajority with the power to redefine Nigeria’s legal and political landscape—often without needing opposition voices,” one constitutional scholar noted.
Meanwhile, the PDP, now significantly weakened in the Senate, faces mounting pressure to consolidate its ranks or risk further erosion ahead of the next electoral cycle.
As Nigeria’s political map continues to shift, all eyes will be on the by-elections for the two vacant Senate seats—and whether they will complete the APC’s path to unprecedented parliamentary control.
