ADC takes over senate minority whip position

Tony Nwoye of the African Democratic Congress has been announced as the new Minority Whip of the Senate following recent shifts in party alignments.

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The appointment comes after the resignation of Osita Ngwu, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. Announcing the development during plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said Nwoye’s nomination was conveyed through a letter from the Senate Minority Caucus.

The latest changes reflect a broader shift in the balance of power within the Senate, with the ADC now emerging as the leading opposition party, holding nine seats compared to the PDP’s five. Despite this development, Abba Moro of the PDP continues to serve as Minority Leader, a situation that has raised questions among political observers.

Political analyst John Oloriegbe said the ADC should ordinarily nominate a new Minority Leader in line with its status as the dominant opposition bloc. “I really don’t know why Abba Moro is still acting as Minority Leader when his party is no longer the majority within the minority,” Oloriegbe said.

He added that any leadership change would depend on whether ADC senators formally communicate their position to the Senate leadership. The plenary session also witnessed further defections, as Anthony Siyako Yaro of Gombe South moved from the PDP to the APC, citing internal crises within his former party.

Similarly, Ahmed Aliyu Wadada of Nasarawa West, elected on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, formally notified the Senate of his defection to the APC. In his letter to the Senate President, Wadada stated that his decision, which he said dates back to August 2025, was driven by leadership disputes within the SDP.

The latest political realignments highlight ongoing instability within opposition parties and could reshape leadership dynamics in the Senate ahead of future legislative and electoral developments.