Nwoye emerges Senate minority whip as defections boost APC ranks

Tony Nwoye, the lawmaker representing the Anambra North Senatorial District, has been appointed the new Minority Whip of the Senate following a fresh wave of defections that has strengthened the ranks of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Nwoye was unanimously selected by the Minority Caucus to take over the position after his predecessor, Osita Ngwu, formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on Wednesday.

In a letter read on the Senate floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Ngwu explained that his decision was driven by a need to align politically with Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu.

He described the APC as “the most stable political platform in the country”.

Nwoye was elected into the Senate in 2023 under the platform of the Labour Party before switching to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in late 2025.

The development is part of a broader trend in the chamber. Anthony Siyako Yaro (Gombe South) also announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, citing unresolved internal crises within his former party.

Similarly, Aliyu Wadada, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, confirmed his move from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the APC.

Wadada noted that while he had earlier joined the ruling party, all formal processes of his defection were concluded on Wednesday. He is also widely reported to have secured endorsement as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate for Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 elections.

Reacting to the developments, Senator Adams Oshiomhole commended the lawmakers for what he described as peaceful and constitutional transitions, adding that the growing number of defections signals increasing confidence in the APC and the administration of President Tinubu.

With the latest movements, the APC’s strength in the Senate has risen to 91 members, further consolidating its dominance in the upper chamber.