Senator Kelvin Chukwu’s defection from the Labour Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress has handed the APC a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) now controls two-thirds of the Senate following the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu, representing Enugu East, from the Labour Party (LP).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced Chukwu’s defection during Wednesday’s plenary, confirming the APC’s new tally at 73 seats. Chukwu, who succeeded his late brother, Oyibo Chukwu, after the 2023 election, cited internal disputes in the LP as his reason for leaving.
“The protracted crisis rocking the LP, which has led to its fractionalisation, is a development that is seriously affecting its members,” he said.
Chukwu’s exit leaves the LP with four senators, including only one from Enugu State. The PDP now holds 28 seats, while the SDP and NNPP have one each, and APGA two.
Recent months have seen several opposition senators defect to the APC, sparking concerns over diminishing legislative opposition in the upper chamber.