•PDP shrinks from 36 to 26, LP from 8 to 4, APGA 2; NNPP from 2 to 1, SDP from 2 to 1 and YPP from 1 to 0
•Senator Abaribe: This is politically disastrous for Nigeria
By Henry Umoru
THE 10th National Assembly was inaugurated on June 12, 2023.
As of the time, the gap between the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the opposition political parties put together was not much.
Prior to the inauguration and even when then-Senator-elect Godswill Akpabio, APC, Akwa Ibom North-West, finally became the President of the Senate, the ruling party was not close to having the majority voice in the Upper Chamber if votes were to be conducted on sensitive national issues, using the electronic voting system.
As of that time, the Senate had members from the APC; the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Labour Party, LP; the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA; the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, the Young Progressives Party, YPP, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
When the present Senate came on board in June 2023, the ruling APC had 59 senators while the opposition put together had 50.
The breakdown then was APC 59; PDP 36; LP 8; NNPP 2; SDP 2 and YPP 1.
Some months later in the life of the 10th Senate, the number of APC and LP came down and that of PDP increased by two, making it 38 members for the PDP.
The increase in number of the PDP and reduction in number for the ruling APC and LP was sequel to the ruling of Court of Appeal that nullified Senator Abubakar Ohere of the APC, Kogi Central in October 2023 and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the PDP was sworn-in November 2, 2023 to replace Ohere.
Similarly, the Court of Appeal sacked Senator Darlington Nwokocha of the LP of Abia Central and Austin Akobundu of the PDP was sworn-in November 15, 2023 to replace Nwokocha.
But in October 2023, the number of APC senators increased by one when the only YPP lawmaker in the Upper Chamber, the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Anambra South, dumped the YPP for the APC and that led to the death of YPP in the Senate.
Meanwhile, as of Thursday, October 16, 2025, following the cross carpeting of Senator Benson Konbowei, Bayelsa Central from the PDP to the APC, the configuration of senators in the Senate now across political parties are APC 75 , PDP 26; LP 4; APGA 2; NNPP 1 and SDP 1, totaling 109.
Speaking with Sunday Vanguard on what the absolute power of the APC means for the polity, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, APGA, Abia South, said, “It is politically disastrous for Nigeria. Dissent in politics is what makes it a democracy.
“My singular regret is that the descent into the abyss is being championed by someone who stood against the hegemony of the PDP. Today most unfortunately he is leading the charge to turn Nigeria into Paul Biya’s Cameroun.”
The post With APC senators now 75, ruling party snatches 16 lawmakers in two and a half years from rivals appeared first on Vanguard News.
