Senate to declare lawmaker’s seat vacant

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has called for the seat of Abia South Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to be declared vacant following his defection from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Abaribe joined eight other senators from the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, and APGA in moving to the ADC, sparking debates over the legality and constitutional effects of the defections.

Bamidele stated that the constitution addresses cases where lawmakers leave the parties under which they were elected.

He noted that Section 68(1b) provides that a lawmaker’s seat may become vacant if the conditions that allowed their election are no longer met, including leaving their political party.

While maintaining his stance on the law, Bamidele urged Abaribe to reconsider his defection and retract the letter announcing the move.

He explained that the Senate cannot accommodate members who are outside both the majority and minority blocs, and creating a separate space for unaffiliated lawmakers is not allowed under the constitution.

The Senate was thrown into tension after the President, Godswill Akpabio, raised the possibility of declaring Abia South Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s seat vacant.

The concern arose because Abaribe moved from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

During the same session, nine other senators also switched parties.

Eight joined the ADC, while one moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Most explained their moves were due to issues within their former parties.

Abaribe, however, did not cite any problem in APGA in his defection letter, raising questions about whether his move followed the Constitution.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, noted that a senator’s seat should become vacant if they leave the party that sponsored their election, except in cases where the party faces a serious internal crisis or merges with another.

APGA was not reported to have such a crisis, making Abaribe’s shift unusual.

Abaribe later clarified that he had been expelled from APGA in September 2025. With his membership terminated, he no longer belonged to the party that elected him, prompting him to join the ADC to remain eligible as a senator.

The Senate President said the chamber would review the constitutional issues surrounding Abaribe’s defection before making a final decision on whether his seat should be declared vacant.