Six members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State have officially left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), in a move that further strengthens Governor Seyi Makinde’s political influence ahead of the 2027 general election.
The lawmakers announced their defections on Tuesday during plenary at the House of Representatives. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read their letters alongside other notices of party changes submitted by lawmakers.
The six Oyo lawmakers who joined the APM are Anthony Adebayo, Adedeji Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Fola Oyekunle and Adigun Adekunle.
In their separate letters, the lawmakers cited the prolonged leadership crisis and internal divisions within the PDP as the main reasons for leaving the party. They said the situation made it necessary to seek a new political platform ahead of future political engagements.
The latest defections come weeks after Governor Makinde left the PDP for the APM and declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform.
With the move, Makinde has now taken six of the 14 members of the Oyo State caucus in the House of Representatives into the APM, further consolidating his influence within the state’s political structure.
The wave of defections was not limited to Oyo State. In Bauchi State, Auwalu Gwalabe also left the PDP for the APM.
Meanwhile, the PDP gained new members in the House. Shehu Dalhatu defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, saying he made the decision after consulting with his constituents and reviewing developments within his former party.
Similarly, Delta State lawmaker Etanabene Benedict left the Labour Party for the PDP, citing the ongoing crisis within the party.
Another lawmaker, Alex Egbona, also moved from the APC to the PDP, while assuring constituents that his commitment to legislative duties remained unchanged.
In a separate development, Edo State lawmaker Esosa Iyawe defected from the APC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), blaming irreconcilable differences with the APC leadership in Edo State.
Also, Nasarawa lawmaker Gbefwi Gaza announced his defection from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Labour Party.
The latest round of defections highlights the growing political realignments taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections, as politicians reposition themselves and seek new alliances in preparation for key contests across the country.
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