No more opposition in Ogun Assembly as PDP lawmakers join APC

By Adejoke Adeleye/Ogun

Six members of the Ogun House of Assembly elected under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by the Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress on Tuesday.

The 26 member House of Assembly has therefore become a one party legislature with the defection of the PDP lawmakers

The six PDP members who defected to APC are: Honourables Adeleye, representing Odogbolu State Constituency, Dickson Awolaja- Remo-North, Lawal Samsudeen- Ogun Waterside, Waliu Owode- Ijebu-East, Oluseun Adesanya- Ijebu-North East and Damilare Bello- Sagamu I.

Their letters of defection was read by the Speaker Oludaisi Elemide during ‘s plenary at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Tuesday

In the letters, the Ogun lawmakers said their resignation from the PDP was due to internal crisis which had, “increasingly hindered the effective and adequate political engagements.

The lawmakers said their defection is also driven by the need to align with a transformative and progressive platform that would better enable them to deliver meaningful democratic dividends to our constituents.

The lawmakers added, “We remain resolute in our commitment to our legislative duties as well as improved welfare and overall development of our constituents.

“We must also use this opportunity to appreciate the leadership and members of the House for their support and cooperation.

“Kindly accept this letter as our official notification and accord it the necessary recognition in line with established legislative protocols”.

In another development, the Speaker of has invited nominees for the State Independent Electoral Commission, whose names were forwarded to the Assembly Governor Dapo Abiodun to appear for screening, at a later date.

The nominees are to submit 30 copies each of their curriculum vitae and other credentials to the Office of the Clerk/ Head of Legislative before their appearance for the screening.

The nominees are: Mr. Babatunde Adetona Osibodu, Mr. Tunji Akoni, Mr. Ayodele Bankole, Mrs. Gbemisola Onasanya and Mrs. Oluwaremilekun Olaopa.

Also at the plenary, four bills includingscaled first reading.

The bills amongst others, sought to make provision for survey and geoinformatic law, to establish the State Judicial Institute law, serve as a centre for professional training of staff of the State Judiciary and for related matters, another was meant to establish the State Education and Skills Trust Fund for regulating education infrastructure and facility skills and other connected purposes as well as a bill to amend the State Rural Access Road Agency law, 2022.