The Nigerian Senate has adjourned plenary until March 31, 2026, to allow lawmakers observe the upcoming Sallah break.
The decision was taken during Thursday’s session presided over by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Before adjourning, the Senate resolved that deliberations on the 2026 National Budget would be concluded and passed once lawmakers resume from the recess on March 31.
Meanwhile, nine senators announced during the same plenary that they had defected from their various political parties to join the African Democratic Congress.
According to details presented on the Senate floor, five of the lawmakers left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), three departed from the Labour Party (LP), while one resigned from the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
The senators who left the PDP include Dauda Yaroe, Lawal Usman, Ogochi Onawe, Aminu Tambuwal, and Austin Akobundu.
Those who left the Labour Party are Ireti Kingibe, Victor Umeh, and Tony Nwoye.
Eight of the senators who defected from the PDP and LP cited internal leadership crises within their parties as the main reason for their decision to switch political platforms.
However, the case of Enyinnaya Abaribe, who announced his resignation from APGA, received a different response from the Senate.
Abaribe explained that he left the party after being removed from its membership in September 2025.
The Senate, however, ruled that his explanation does not meet the constitutional conditions required for defection and subsequently gave him one week to reconsider his decision.
Lawmakers said the constitutional provisions guiding party defections must be strictly followed by members of the National Assembly.
