The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered another setback in the National Assembly following the defection of Senator Kaila Dahuwa Samaila, representing Bauchi North Senatorial District.

Senator Samaila announced his decision to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), marking another major blow to the opposition party’s strength in the upper chamber.

His defection was formally announced on Tuesday, during plenary, after a letter he addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio was read on the floor of the Senate.

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In the letter, Senator Samaila attributed his decision to the prolonged internal crisis within the PDP, which he said had crippled the party’s structure both in Bauchi State and at the national level.

He added that his move to the APC was driven by the need to align with a party he believes offers “a more stable platform to deliver quality representation and development” to his constituents.

With his exit, the PDP’s strength in the 10th Senate has now dropped from 28 to 27 members, while the APC has increased its majority to 74 seats.

The defection further solidifies the ruling party’s dominance in the upper chamber.

Samaila, a first-term senator elected in 2023, joins a growing list of lawmakers who have recently defected from the opposition PDP amid what they describe as a deepening leadership crisis.