The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday secured another key victory in the National Assembly following the defection of Senator Friday Konbowei from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to its ranks.
Konbowei, who represents Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, announced his defection in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, which was read aloud during plenary before the close of the day’s session.
Explaining his decision, Konbowei wrote that he could no longer stay in the PDP due to the “intractable crises bedeviling the Peoples Democratic Party,” adding that persistent internal divisions and leadership disputes had made it impossible for him to continue under the party’s platform.
His move marks a significant boost for the APC, which has been consolidating its dominance in the 10th Senate through a steady influx of defectors from opposition parties in recent months.
With Konbowei’s defection, the APC now holds 74 seats, securing a comfortable two-thirds majority that further strengthens President Bola Tinubu’s legislative base. The PDP’s presence has dwindled to 27 senators, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) maintain one senator each, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) retains two.
Political analysts view the latest defection as a strategic blow to the PDP’s influence in the South-South, a region once considered its stronghold. It also signals an ongoing reshaping of political alliances ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The development underscores a broader trend of political recalibration within the National Assembly, as lawmakers reposition themselves amid shifting loyalties and emerging power dynamics.
