Abaribe resigns as Senate Minority Leader as Balogun, Oyo Senator defects to APC

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District, has formally resigned his position as Minority Leader of the Senate.

His resignation was conveyed in a letter dated 26th May, 2022. 

The letter was read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at the start of plenary, on Wednesday. 

Abaribe’s resignation as Senate Minority Leader, followed his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). 

The letter titled: “Notification of Resignation From Membership of The Peoples Democratic Party in the Senate”, reads: “This is to notify you and my dear colleagues in the Senate that I have formally resigned my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party through my ward.

“This also means my resignation as Minority Leader of the Senate.

“I wish to thank you and my dear colleagues in the Leadership of the Senate for warm camaraderie we enjoyed while I was Minority Leader.”

In a related development, Senator Kola Balogun, representing Oyo South Senatorial District, formally defected from the PDP to the APC on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday. 

Balogun’s notice of defection was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, and read at the start of plenary on Wednesday. 

His defection brings the number of APC Senators in the upper chamber to 70. 

According to the lawmaker, his decision to defect from the PDP was due to the lack of internal democracy in the party at the state level for the emergence of leaders and representatives.

He added that the development has further led to the existence of several factions and aggrieved groups within the party.