President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday declared that the African Democratic Congress may have effectively crumbled, following a string of high-profile defections from the party.
Akpabio made the remark during plenary while reading a letter notifying the Senate of the defection of the lawmaker representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Abaribe is said to have dumped the ADC for the Labour Party, further depleting the party’s ranks in the National Assembly.
Reacting, the Senate President expressed concern over the growing frequency of defections, describing the situation as excessive and almost routine.
“I think ADC is dead,” Akpabio said. “How many times are you defecting in a month? Three times? We should compile all the names so it doesn’t appear like a daily ritual.”
He directed that records of lawmakers switching parties be properly documented, noting that movements from one platform to another should be grouped accordingly for clarity.
The development comes on the heels of the recent exit of former presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who on Sunday abandoned the ADC for the Nigerian Democratic Congress.
The wave of defections has intensified speculation about a major political realignment ahead of future elections, with the ADC appearing to be one of the hardest-hit parties in the unfolding shake-up.