The numerical strength of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate has continued to appreciate as Senator Neda Imasuen, on Wednesday officially defected from the Labour Party to the APC.

Imasuen notified the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of his defection in a letter which was read at plenary and authorized to be documented by the Clerk of the Senate.

The lawmaker representing Edo South Senatorial District, in his letter, cited an irreconcilable internal crisis in the Labour Party as reason for his defection.

According to him, he took the decision after due consultation with his family, his constituents and political associates.

Imasuen said that he decided to join the party at the centre to give his people a sense of belonging in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of the President Bola Tinubu- led APC government.

The President of the Senate, who was very excited about Imasuen’s decision, welcomed the defector with a handshake and had photograph with him while some APC Senators felicitated with him.

However, the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, said that Imasuen, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, acted “unethically” by “leaving his own house for another house”.

With the recent defections, the membership configuration of the political parties in the Senate is as follows: APC – 68 seats, PDP– 30 seats, Labour Party– 5 seats, SDP– 2, seats, NNPP– 1 seat, and APGA– 1 seat.

This brings the total number of occupied seats in the Senate to 107 out of 109 seats. The two vacant seats are those left by the late Senator Ifeanyi Uba and Senator Monday Okpebholo, who was elected Governor of Edo State.