Last PDP lawmakers in Ondo Assembly defect to APC
By Boye Oyeyemi –
Barely five weeks after two lawmakers left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the remaining PDP members in the Ondo State House of Assembly have also decamped.
The latest defectors are the former House Minority Leader representing Akure South 1 Constituency, Hon. Olajide Oguntodu, and his deputy, Hon. Oluwatoyin Daodu of Akoko South West Constituency 1.
The lawmakers formally resigned from the PDP during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Chief) Olamide Oladiji, in Akure on Thursday. Reading their resignation letters on the floor, the Speaker welcomed them and noted that the move would further strengthen APC’s numerical advantage in the Assembly.
In their letters, the two lawmakers explained that consultations with family members, constituents, and party leaders guided their decision. They also cited internal crises within the PDP as a key reason for their defection.
Speaker Oladiji commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership and described the defections as historic for Ondo State. He also praised Governor Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s developmental initiatives and urged the new APC members to actively contribute to the party’s growth.
The House also raised concerns over the poor state of the Ogbagi Akoko/Irun Akoko roads in the Akoko Northwest Local Government Area. Lawmakers warned that the neglected roads pose threats to lives, property, and the state’s economic growth.
To address the issue, the House resolved to appeal to the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, and the Director General of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for urgent action.
The House Committee on Works and Infrastructure was directed to liaise with FERMA and report back within a stipulated timeframe.
