Opposition Started with Over 50 Senators; Now Remaining 5 Are Begging to Join Us in APC, Says Sen Akpabio

By Tgnews Reporter

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has claimed that the opposition’s presence in Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber has drastically eroded since the All Progressives Congress (APC) assumed power in 2023, leaving only a handful of senators outside the ruling party—some of whom, he alleges, are privately seeking to defect.

Speaking at the 14th National Caucus meeting of the APC held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Akpabio highlighted the shift in Senate composition. “When we came in, the opposition had almost 50 members (senators), but today, when I counted, there are about 5 or 4 left in the opposition. Even those 5 members have whispered to me that I should take them to the president as they are prepared to join the APC,” he said.

Akpabio emphasized that he has deliberately allowed some senators who have expressed interest in joining the APC but have not yet formally defected to remain in the minority caucus, in order to prevent the opposition benches from appearing entirely vacant.

He attributed the wave of defections to a sense of patriotism and the appeal of the APC’s governance under President Bola Tinubu.

The Senate President’s remarks come amid a broader trend of political realignments in Nigeria, with several high-profile figures crossing over to the APC in recent months.

Notably, six governors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)—including Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, and Agbu Kefas of Taraba—attended the caucus meeting as new APC members, signaling a significant boost for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Recent senatorial defections have further bolstered the APC’s majority, such as Senator Sunday Marshall Katung from Kaduna South, who left the PDP citing internal crises in the opposition party.

The APC caucus meeting, which preceded the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) gathering, focused on key issues including national security, economic strategies, and party expansion.

Akpabio also described Nigeria’s insecurity challenges—such as terrorism, banditry, and insurgency—as “organised and orchestrated” by unnamed enemies, urging unity within the APC to address them.

He commended Tinubu for recent successes, including the release of over 100 kidnapped children, and called for sustained efforts to free remaining hostages.

President Tinubu, addressing the gathering, assured attendees that multi-level policing, including state police, would soon become a reality, with legislative support from the APC-controlled National Assembly. He also stressed compliance with a Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy to ensure direct funding to councils.

The PDP has not issued an immediate public response to Akpabio’s specific claims about the dwindling opposition in the Senate. However, the party recently acknowledged past mistakes and expressed intentions to rebuild public trust amid ongoing defections.