The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered yet another setback as two senators from Akwa Ibom State have officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmakers—Sampson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South) and Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East)—announced their switch during Wednesday’s plenary session. Their defection letters were read aloud by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

In their letters, the senators pointed to the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP as their reason for leaving the party. They claimed the internal wrangling had made it difficult for them to continue under the PDP platform.

Their move comes amid a growing wave of defections from the PDP, with some members crossing over to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while others—like these two senators—are choosing the ruling APC.

The latest defections are expected to further shift the political balance in the National Assembly and could have significant implications for upcoming legislative decisions and future elections.