Abaribe Dumps APGA to Join Obi in ADC
Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senator representing Abia South, has announced his resignation from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The announcement was made in Enugu on Wednesday, shortly after Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, declared his own defection to the party.
Speaking while addressing party members and supporters at the event, Abaribe declared his total alignment with Obi’s political direction, describing the former presidential candidate as “my brother and our leader.”
Senator Abaribe, known for his outspoken stance on national issues, formally introduced himself to the gathering by donning the ADC cap for the first time. He acknowledged the presence of David Mark, the ADC chairman, before making his declaration public.
“Mr. David Mark, chairman of ADC, this is the logo of the party on this cap, and I’m going to wear this cap for the first time,” Abaribe stated.
He confirmed that he had tendered his resignation from APGA earlier that morning.
“Let me also announce that this morning, I resigned from the All Progressives Grand Alliance. So as of now, I am fully in ADC, following my brother and our leader, Mr. Peter Obi,” he said.
Abaribe expressed confidence in the new political movement’s ability to achieve its objectives in the upcoming election cycles.
Reflecting on the political climate, he used the Igbo phrase “Mgbe o ruru” (the time has come) to describe the current momentum gathering within the opposition.
He launched a stinging critique of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the administration of failing to deliver on its promises and plunging the nation into hardship.
“The whole of us are going into ADC, and we shall remove the cancer that has held Nigeria down since 2015,” Abaribe declared. “We will remove that party that promised change but brought pain. That party brought death and destruction to Nigeria.”
With this move, Abaribe becomes the second serving senator to defect to the ADC in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Ireti Kingibe, the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), also joined the party, signalling a potential shift in the balance of power within the National Assembly as the 2027 general elections approach.
The dual defections of Peter Obi and Enyinnaya Abaribe on the same day suggest a coordinated effort to consolidate opposition forces under the ADC platform.
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