Senator Tony Nwoye has been appointed the new Senate Minority Whip following a wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Nwoye, who represents Anambra North Senatorial District, was unanimously selected by the minority caucus to fill the position.
His appointment follows the defection of his predecessor, Osita Ngwu, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on Wednesday.
In a letter read on the Senate floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Ngwu said his decision was driven by a desire to align politically with Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu, describing the APC as the most stable political platform in the country.
Nwoye was elected to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party before defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in late 2025.
In related developments, Senator Anthony Siyako Yaro, representing Gombe South, also defected from the PDP to the APC, citing persistent internal crises within his former party.
Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Aliyu Wadada, confirmed his move from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the APC. Wadada, who has been endorsed as the APC’s consensus governorship candidate for Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 elections, said his defection had earlier taken place but was formally concluded on Wednesday.
Reacting to the developments, Senator Adams Oshiomhole commended the lawmakers for defecting peacefully and in line with constitutional provisions, adding that the growing number of defections reflects confidence in the APC and the Tinubu administration.
The latest moves bring the total number of APC senators to 91, further strengthening the party’s dominance in the upper chamber.
