The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) suffered another significant setback in the Senate on Wednesday as three more Senators defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), further depleting the party’s representation in the apex legislative Chamber.

The three Senators who joined APC are Amos Yunana (Adamawa North), Aminu Iya Abbas (Adamawa Central), and Ikra Aliyu Bilbis (Zamfara Central).

Their defection, which came just 24 hours after Senator Banigo Ipalibo (Rivers West) also joined APC, has reduced PDP’s membership in the Senate from 17 to 14 and increased APC’s representation from 81 to 84.

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who read their letters, hailed the development as unprecedented since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

He noted that the defections were a reversal of the trend in 2018 when APC lost many Senators to PDP, including the then Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

“What is happening now between PDP and APC Senators is more of a 1-1 draw. In 2018, about 30 Senators defected from the APC to the PDP in one day. Now, it’s the other way round, with PDP Senators defecting en masse to APC, thanks to the good governance and bold reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Akpabio said.

Speaking on the matter, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, attributed the gale of defections to the success of President Tinubu’s administration.

“The defectors are not daft; they have seen that something is working in the country for the good of all, and they want to be part of it,” he said.

The current configuration of Senators on the platform of political parties is: APC 84, PDP 14, Labour Party zero, NNPP 1, SDP zero, and APGA 1. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) now has 5 Senators, while the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has 1 Senator.

The total number of serving Senators is 106, with three seats vacant due to the deaths of Senators Godiya Akwashiki, Okechukwu Ezea, and Barinada Mpigi.