Two APC lawmakers defect to PDP in Edo

By Bisi Olaniyi, Benin

Two lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State House of Assembly – Yekini Idaiye and Nosayaba Okunbor, have defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Idaiye, a former Deputy Speaker of the House, represents Akoko-Edo constituency 1, while Okunbor is the representative of Orhionmwon East constituency

The Speaker of Edo House of Assembly, Marcus Onobun, Monday read the two lawmakers’ letters of defection.

In the 24-member Assembly, 14 APC elected lawmakers are yet to be formally inaugurated.

Among the ten inaugurated members, who are still sitting inside Government House, Benin, over the fear of removing Governor Godwin Obaseki, nine are now of the PDP, while the representative of Akoko-Edo constituency 2, Emmanuel Agbaje, is the only APC legislator in the Assembly.

Idaiye said in his letter: “May I use this medium to inform you of my resignation as a member of APC. I took this decision, because of an internal crisis in the party (APC), from my ward to the local government level, which led to the factions in the party for some time now.

“It is on this note that I have decided to resign my membership of the APC and officially defect to the PDP.”

Okunbor also claimed that he was tired of the alleged crisis in the APC.

READ ALSO: Former PDP lawmaker, others defect to APC

The Orhionmwon East lawmaker said: “This decision (defection) is the sequel to the division within the party (APC), which has become intractable.

“I have made strenuous efforts to ensure that the division within the party (APC) is reconciled, in line with the provision of the party’s constitution, but to no avail, as the leadership of the party has simply refused to allow the issues involved to be adjudicated upon.

“Consequently, I have no other option, but to resign my membership, as a lean liberty is better than fat slavery.”

The speaker welcomed the two APC lawmakers to the PDP while urging them to prepare to work with Obaseki to make Edo great again.

The lawmakers also called on Edo Commissioner of Police, Philip Ogbadu, and heads of other relevant security agencies to address the menace of armed hoodlums unleashing terror in Orhionmwon and Esan West Local Government Areas, as well as in other parts of the South-south state.

At plenary, the legislators adopted a business calendar of 65 sitting days for the third quarter, second session, starting from February 1 to April 30 this year.