The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has clarified that Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South, was not sacked from the party, but voluntarily resigned in October 2025—three months after being placed on indefinite suspension.

The clarification follows Abaribe’s claim on the Senate floor that he defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after being removed from APGA.

Party officials, however, insisted his exit was self-initiated.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, who informed the Senate that he had defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following what he described as his sacking by All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), appears to be seeking a sixth term in the Senate in the 2027 elections.

Abaribe argued that when an elected legislator seeking re-election is placed on indefinite suspension while other aspirants compete for party nominations, it effectively amounts to being removed by the party.

APGA, however, clarified yesterday in Umuahia that the senator voluntarily resigned and was not sacked. The statement was issued to journalists by three state party officials: chieftain Obinna Ichita, state chairman Sunday Onukwubiri, and state publicity secretary Chukwuemeka Nwokoro.

The officials stressed that following his voluntary resignation, Abaribe constitutionally ought to vacate his Senate seat, noting that “he cannot carry the mandate of another political party in the Senate outside that of APGA, on whose ticket he was elected by the people of Abia South Senatorial Zone for the 2023–2027 term.”

APGA leaders further explained that the Nigerian Constitution allows a lawmaker to defect and retain their seat only if the party that sponsored their election is experiencing a crisis or is factionalized. They asserted that no such national or state leadership crisis exists in APGA, and that a previously reported national leadership dispute was resolved by a Supreme Court judgment before the 2023 elections, from which Abaribe was elected.