Six members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), further strengthening the political influence of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
The defections were announced on Tuesday during plenary at the House of Representatives, where Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read letters from 13 lawmakers notifying the chamber of their changes in party affiliation.
The Oyo lawmakers who joined the APM are Anthony Adebayo, Adedeji Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Fola Oyekunle and Adigun Adekunle. In their letters, they cited the prolonged leadership crisis and internal disputes within the PDP as the reasons for their departure.
The development comes weeks after Governor Makinde himself defected to the APM and declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform. With the latest defections, six of Oyo State’s 14 representatives in the House have aligned with the governor in the APM.
The wave of defections also saw movement across other political parties. In Bauchi State, Auwalu Gwalabe left the PDP for the APM, while Katsina lawmaker Shehu Dalhatu defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, citing consultations with his constituents and concerns within the ruling party.
Similarly, Delta State lawmaker Etanabene Benedict moved from the Labour Party to the PDP, attributing his decision to the crisis within the Labour Party. Another lawmaker, Alex Egbona, also joined the PDP from the APC.
Meanwhile, Edo lawmaker Esosa Iyawe defected from the APC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), blaming irreconcilable differences with the party’s state chapter. Nasarawa lawmaker Gbefwi Gaza also announced his departure from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Labour Party (LP).
The latest defections highlight the growing political realignments across Nigeria as parties and politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
