Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Majority Leader of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Yinka Mafe, Idowu Olowofuja, Tunde Sanusi and Ganiyu Oyedeji, have dumped the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The four lawmakers representing Sagamu State Constituency 1, Abeokuta South State Constituency 2, Obafemi-Owode State Constituency and Ifo State Constituency 2, respectively, announced their defection in letters submitted to the Speaker of the House, Suraj Adekunbi, during a plenary on Thursday.
The defection of the lawmakers came few hours after the House of Representatives member representing Egbado South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, Abdul-Kabir Akinlade and the anointed governorship candidate of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, equally announced his defection from APC to APM, at the floor of the House.
In the letters written by the lawmakers to announce their defection, they attributed their defection from the ruling party to “irreconcilable differences” arising from the legislative primaries conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
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According to them, the primaries which was conducted by the election panel of the NWC and beamed live by national television stations, produced them as winners in their respective state constituencies.
They said they were shocked to discover that their names as the party candidates had been substituted with names of another set of candidates and subsequently submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The lawmakers, however, stated that their decision to defect to APM was taken after due consultations with their various constituencies, adding they joined the new party to realise their political aspirations.
Meanwhile, the deputy speaker of the House, Kunle Oluomo, raised a House Order that a majority leader who defects from the majority party should step down from his or her position.
But the Speaker, responding to the order raised by Oluomo, said matter will be discussed and decision taken on it later.