DEFECTION WAVE HITS OGUN ASSEMBLY

Five members of the Ogun House of Assembly on Thursday defected to three different parties.

The Speaker of the State House, Mr. Suraj Adekunbi, on Thursday read the separate letters of defection by the lawmakers during the plenary session in Abeokuta.

Adekunbi (APC-Yewa North1) said that this was the first time the assembly would be receiving such a high number of defection letters.

He said the assembly received only three such defection letters in the last dispensation.

Two of the lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mrs. Akintayo Folakemi (Yewa South) and Mr. Ojo Viwanu (Ipokia/Idiroko) defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jemili Akingbade (Imeko Afon) and Atanda Razaq (Yewa North 11) also left the PDP for the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC)

Mr. Harrison Adeyemi (Ogun Waterside), however, defected from the APC to the PDP.

Speaking after her defection to the APC, Folakemi explained her defection to the ruling APC to the ideology of her new party as well as Gov. Ibikunle Amosun for ensuring rapid development in the state as well as the need to be part of the Ogun West for Governor campaign of the state governor.

“I am an Ogun West person and whatever will make my people happy is what I will go for. Whatever is done that concerns Ogun West, I must be part of it,” she said.

She stated that for 42 years since the creation of the state, it was high time somebody from Ogun west became the governor of the state, adding that this had eluded the zone.

Folakemi promised to continue to do her best in ensuring that the dividends of democracy got to the nook and crannies of her constituency.

Some of the PDP lawmakers, who defected, hinged their decision on the crisis and division within the party at the state level.