The legislators defected from the Malachi Coker faction of the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after Bamidele Oloyelogun was elected as the new State Assembly speaker on Monday.
Four Ondo State lawmakers, including the newly-elected House of Assembly speaker, Bamidele Oloyelogun, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.
The legislators defected from the Malachi Coker faction of the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after Bamidele Oloyelogun was elected as the new State Assembly speaker on Monday.
The defectors, Iroju Ogundeji (Odigbo Constituency), Ayodeji Arowole (Owo Constituency I), and Olusegun Akinmutokin (Irele Constituency), were led by the new speaker, Bamidele Oloyelogun (Ifedore Constituency), a two-term member of the Assembly.
SaharaReporters observed that the PDP defectors were received by the secretary to the Ondo State government, Ifedayo Abegunde, at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the governor's office in Akure.
Speaking after their defection, Mr. Oloyelogun said they decided to join the ruling APC due to the lingering crisis rocking the PDP both in the state and at the national level.
He revealed that the other lawmakers, mostly loyal to the Jumoke Akindele's faction, have already showed their interest to also join the APC due to the PDP crisis.
"As a result of the the crisis in our formal party, PDP, we have all decided to join the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after a series of considerations.
"The All Progressives Congress is the ruling party in Ondo State as at today and for peace to rein in the state and in the Assembly, we have taken the step to join them in developing the state," a defector told our correspondent on phone.
SaharaReporters exclusively gathered that the lawmakers would officially perfect their defection on the floor of the Assembly on Tuesday during plenary.
