FOLLOWING the defection of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Senate has appointed Senator Philip Tenimu Aduda (FCT) as its new Minority Leader.
Also, the upper chamber of the National Assembly appointed Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North) as the Senate Minority Whip.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan announced the appointment on Tuesday, June 21, while reading two separate letters signed by the National Secretary of the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, during a plenary session.
Aduda is currently serving his 19th year in the national assembly, having previously served as a member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011, and was thereafter elected to the Senate for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in 2011 under the umbrella of the PDP.
He has since been in the Red Chamber for two-terms as he is currently running his third-term as the senator representing FCT.
Meanwhile, Senator Abaribe joined APGA hours after dumping the PDP. Abaribe who wanted to contest the Abia governorship seat on the PDP’s platform pulled out of the race and left the party, alleging a lack of transparency.
The former Senate minority leader said he would be seeking re-election into the Red Chamber on the platform of APGA in 2023.
It was gathered that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reportedly offered its governorship slot to Abaribe but on the condition that he leaves the opposition PDP. The call was reportedly made by the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
Abaribe who is eyeing the PDP governorship ticket in Abia State had been caught in the web of a zoning formula.
