Defection hits Edo APC after Obaseki court victory

After the PDP and Gov. Godwin Obaseki secured a court victory in the legal contest that followed his guber election win last year, the opposition ship lost the wind in its sail. The APC is now adrift, and its members are bailing out.

Two stalwarts of the party dived into the PDP on Monday, a move that might open the floodgate of defection from the APC.

Former deputy Speaker of the House and member representing Akoko-Edo 1, Yekini Idaiye, and the member representing Orhionmwon East Constituency, Nosayaba Okunbor are now in the same party as Obaseki, their worn enemy couple of months ago.

Currently, in the 10-man state assembly, nine are PDP members.

The speaker, Marcus Onobun read their letters of resignation on the floor of the House.

Idaiye said he “took this decision because of internal crisis in the party 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 I have decided to resign my membership of the APC and officially defect to the PDP,” he said.

Okunbor said his own decision is a sequel to the division within the party which has become intractable.

“I have made strenuous efforts to ensure that this division within the party is addressed 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,” he said.

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

Onobun welcomed the lawmakers to the PDP and commended their desire to work with the state governor in making Edo great again.