The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has achieved a major parliamentary victory by securing a two-thirds majority in the Nigerian Senate following the defection of Senator Samaila Kila, representing Bauchi North Senatorial District, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
The defection was officially announced on Tuesday during plenary when Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read Senator Kila’s letter of resignation from the PDP and formal declaration for the APC.
With the latest development, the APC now commands 73 out of 109 seats in the Senate, a figure that meets the constitutional two-thirds threshold required for passing major legislation and initiating impeachment processes as provided under Sections 143 and 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
The new numerical strength places the APC in a strategic position to influence legislative decisions and drive its policy agenda without significant opposition hurdles.
It was gathered that the milestone marks the first time since 2015 that the APC has reached the constitutional two-thirds majority in the upper chamber, further consolidating its control over the National Assembly.
When the 10th Senate was inaugurated in June 2023, the APC held 59 seats, while the PDP controlled a larger opposition bloc.
The current composition now stands as: APC – 73 seats; PDP – 27 seats; Labour Party – 4; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – 2; Social Democratic Party (SDP) – 2; and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – 1 seat.
