Ogun Assembly rejects lawmakers’ defection from APC

There was a mild drama at the floor of Ogun State House of Assembly on Tuesday as the assembly set aside planned defection of two of its members from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The lawmakers were said to have failed to prove division in APC, a reason they cited for defecting to another party.

A member representing Remo North constituency, Biyi Adeleye and his counterpart from Ogun Waterside constituency, Harrison Adeyemi had intimated the assembly of their defection from APC to PDP in separate letters read by the Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi on Tuesday.

In his letter, Adeleye cited division and crisis within the ranks of the ruling APC both at the State and National level as the reason for his defection.

However, the Majority Leader of the House, Yinka Mafe while speaking shortly after the Speaker read the letter, urged the assembly to discountenance the reasons given by lawmakers.

Mafe submitted that APC is not divided.

“It will be unfortunate if we allow it to go down that APC has been divided whereas the party has not been divided.

“I want you to tell him to prove to this House that APC is divided. If he cannot prove it, the Speaker should use his office to do the needful,” the House Leader said.

The Speaker also agreed that “there is no crisis or division in APC both at the state and national level.”

“On this note, the matter will be set aside until the lawmakers are able to prove to the House that there is crisis in the party,” Adekunbi said.

Also on Tuesday at the plenary, the Speaker read a letter from another member, Bowale Solaja (Ijebu North constituency), who defected from the PDP to the APC.