The All Progressives Congress (APC) has further expanded its control in the Senate after Senator Kelvin Chukwu, representing Enugu East Senatorial District, defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the ruling party.
The defection, announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Wednesday’s plenary, increases the APC’s strength in the upper chamber to 73 senators, giving it a clear two-thirds majority.
Senator Chukwu, who took over the seat after the death of his brother, Senator Oyibo Chukwu, in 2023, said his decision followed ongoing internal conflicts within the Labour Party that had caused deep divisions and weakened the party’s unity.
With his departure, the Labour Party now has only four senators remaining in the 10th Senate, leaving Senator Okey Ezea of Enugu North as its only representative from the state.
Currently, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds 28 seats, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) each have one senator.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) maintains two seats.Chukwu’s defection adds to the growing list of lawmakers who have recently switched allegiance to the ruling party. In recent months, four PDP senators — Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Oluwole Olubiyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East), and Samson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South) — have also joined the APC, citing divisions in their party.
Observers note that the increasing defections to the APC are gradually reshaping the balance of power in the Senate, sparking discussions over the future of opposition politics and legislative checks within the National Assembly.