Atiku’s Aide Criticises Senate Over Abaribe’s Defection Controversy

Media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has criticised the Nigerian Senate over the controversy surrounding the defection of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Ibe made the remarks in a post on his X handle while reacting to a brief tension that occurred in the Senate on Thursday after Abaribe’s defection was announced during plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

During the session, some lawmakers reportedly questioned the constitutional basis for the defection.

Reacting to the development, Ibe accused the Senate leadership of selectively invoking constitutional provisions, questioning why similar concerns were not raised when opposition lawmakers allegedly defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“All of a sudden, Tinubu’s lapdog Senate is invoking sections of the Nigerian Constitution in querying Senator Abaribe’s defection to the ADC,” Ibe wrote.

He further claimed that Abaribe had already ceased to be a member of APGA before aligning with the ADC, stating that the Abia State chapter of the party had indefinitely suspended the senator on September 26, 2025, over alleged anti-party activities.

“It is a shame that they don’t know or pretend not to know that Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe was indefinitely suspended from APGA by the Abia State chapter on September 26, 2025, for alleged anti-party activities,” he said.

According to Ibe, the suspension meant Abaribe was no longer a member of APGA at the time he aligned with the ADC.

He urged the Senate leadership to focus on legislative responsibilities rather than what he described as partisan interests.