The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) appears to be losing relevance amid ongoing defections by its members.
Akpabio made the remark on Tuesday during plenary, following the announcement of fresh defections by lawmakers to other political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Labour Party (LP).
The Senate had earlier announced the defection of some lawmakers, including Senator Victor Umeh, who joined the NDC.
Reacting to the development, Akpabio said the repeated announcements of defections were becoming excessive and suggested that such moves be consolidated.
He noted that lawmakers intending to defect should submit their decisions collectively to avoid what he described as a recurring routine on the floor of the Senate.
Akpabio stated that the rate at which members were leaving the ADC suggested that the party may have lost its footing.
He also questioned the frequency of defections, noting that some lawmakers had changed parties multiple times within a short period.
The Senate President further advised that defecting lawmakers should group themselves according to their destination parties when submitting notices.
He cited the case of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who he said had moved across multiple parties within a short time frame.
Akpabio made the remarks in a light-hearted tone while presiding over plenary.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives also recorded a wave of defections on Tuesday, with no fewer than 17 lawmakers announcing their exit from the ADC.
The lawmakers, drawn from Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Edo, and Rivers states, defected to the NDC during plenary.
In separate letters read on the floor, the defectors attributed their decision to unresolved internal crises within the ADC.
They said the issues ranged from the national level down to ward structures, making it difficult for the party to function effectively.
