APC gains two-thirds Senate majority as Enugu senator defects from LP

The ruling All Progressives Congress has strengthened its control of the Senate following the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu, representing Enugu East Senatorial District, from the Labour Party to the APC.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced Chukwu’s defection during Wednesday’s plenary, bringing the APC’s tally in the upper chamber to 73 seats — a clear two-thirds majority.

Chukwu, who replaced his late brother, Oyibo Chukwu, after the 2023 general election, attributed his defection to the lingering crisis within the Labour Party.

He said, “The protracted crisis rocking the LP, which has led to its fractionalisation, is a development that is seriously affecting its members.”

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His departure leaves the Labour Party with just four senators in the 10th Senate, with Senator Okey Ezea (Enugu North) now the party’s only representative from Enugu State.

The Peoples Democratic Party currently holds 28 seats, while the Social Democratic Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party have one senator each. The All Progressives Grand Alliance retains two.

Wednesday’s defection adds to a recent wave of opposition lawmakers crossing over to the ruling party.

In the past few months, four PDP senators — Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Oluwole Olubiyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East), and Samson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South) — joined the APC over internal crises in their party.

Bassey had invoked Sections 40 and 68(1)(g) of the Constitution to justify his move.

The defections have continued to reshape the political landscape of the Senate, with observers expressing concern that a near one-party dominance could weaken opposition oversight in the National Assembly.