Nigeria opposition party ADC don gain more ground wit recent defections?

Di Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) wey be di join-body opposition political party for Nigeria, don get beta boost as some ogbonge members of di Nigeria Senate join dem on Thursday.

A total of nine senators declare say dem dey join di ADC from dia former political parties. Out of dis nine, five of dem na fromd di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), three na from di Labour Party and one come from di All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Di senators wey defect na:

Dis move don increase di number of ADC senators to nine, and decrease di PDP members to eight, even as tori dey fly say more PDP senators fit still leave di party.

Kenneth Okonkwo, one of di tok-tok pesin for di ADC say dis development mean say dia party don become di leading opposition political party for Nigeria, and dia strategy to win di 2027 general election don dey strong.

"You go see more of oda politicians joining us soon," Okonkwo tok for interview wit tori pipo dis Friday, bicos according to am, di PDP and LP and odas no dey viable to present enuf opposition to di ruling All Progressives Congress.

Dayo Akintobi, wey be sabi pesin for politics mata, also agree say di ADC now na di leading opposition party for Nigeria.

"Di ADC don gain from di implosion of di PDP," oga Akintobi tok for interview wit Channels TV dis Friday. "Di PDP na sinking ship and evribodi dey run away dey look for comfortable place wia dem fit aspire to office."

Akintobi say for Nigeria, di only importance of political party na bicos na vehicle wey pesin fit enta take get public office.

"Di constitution no allow independent candidates so pesin must be member of a political party to run for office. And dis pipo know say dem no go fit join di APC bicos pipo don already dey dia, stand for queue dey wait for dia turn."

Howeva, oda sabi pipo say di coming general election go still dey tough for di opposition to win sake of say di ruling APC don expand well well in terms of number of elected officials for both di state and federal levels.

Out of di 36 States wey form di Federal Republic of Nigeria, 31 of dem get APC guvnors; and out of di 109 members of di Senate, APC get 85 senators.

For di House of Representatives, di APC get 242 members out of di 360 members of for dia, wich mean say di ruling party don get two-third majority for di lower chamber of di National Assembly.

Already, di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) don already bring out timetable for di 2027 general election wey dem tok say go happen for January and February 2027.

However, political parties must to start and conclude dia primary. elections and submit dia names of candidates to Inec between April 23 and May 30, 2026.

Wahala for Abaribe

Meanwhile, di Senate President Godswill Akpabio don tok say di senate fit declare di seat of Enyinnaya Abaribe vacant, afta e decamp from APGA to ADC.

Dis na sake of protest from di Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; Opeyemi Bamidele and Adams Oshiomhole, as dem tok say APGA no get any division wey go warrant Abaribe to decamp.

Abaribe, for im defection letter tok say e dey comot from APGA sake of irreconcilable leadership crisis witin di party, bu oga Bamidele say im move dey against section 65 of di Constitution, wey tok say anybodi we leave im party except for sake of division for di paty, go also vacate im seat.

However, Abaribe explain say APGA bin don expel am from di party since October 2025 and dat na why e decide to comot.

To decide di mata, di Senate President Godswill Akpabio tell Abaribe say make e submit copy of di expulsion letter wey APGA give am within one week.

"We go give you until our next sitting to reconsider or di chamber go take a position," Akpabio tok.