Senator Kelvin Chukwu dumps Labour Party for APC, citing internal crisis. APC now holds 73 Senate seats, tightening grip on National Assembly.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has solidified its majority in the Senate following the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu, representing Enugu East Senatorial District, from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC.

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the defection during Wednesday’s plenary session, bringing the APC’s total to 73 senators — granting the party a clear two-thirds majority in the 109-member Senate.

Senator Chukwu, who entered the Senate after the tragic assassination of his brother, Oyibo Chukwu, shortly before the 2023 general election, cited persistent internal crisis within the Labour Party as the reason for his decision to cross over.

“The protracted crisis rocking the LP, which has led to its fractionalisation, is a development that is seriously affecting its members,” he stated during plenary.

With Senator Chukwu’s exit, the Labour Party is now left with just four senators in the 10th Senate. From Enugu State, Senator Okey Ezea (Enugu North) now stands as the LP’s only remaining representative.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) currently holds 28 seats, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) each retain one senator, and the **All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has two seats.

Senator Chukwu’s move follows a string of recent defections from opposition parties to the APC. In the past few 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 defected to the ruling party.

Some of the senators invoked Sections 40 and 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provide for the right to freedom of association and protection in the case of division within a political party.

Political analysts and civil society observers have expressed growing concern over what appears to be a slide toward one-party dominance in the Senate.

Critics warn that this development could undermine the system of checks and balances, weaken legislative scrutiny, and limit democratic accountability.

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Despite these warnings, the APC continues to consolidate power in both legislative chambers, with defections bolstering its influence ahead of major legislative debates and policy rollouts.