Six members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), marking a significant political realignment within the state’s federal legislative delegation.
The defection was formally announced during plenary at the National Assembly, when the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Nigeria), Tajudeen Abbas, read the lawmakers’ resignation letters on the floor of the chamber.
In their correspondence, the lawmakers attributed their decision to ongoing internal disputes within the PDP, citing unresolved leadership crises, factional divisions, and what they described as weakening party cohesion. They also noted that the instability within the party had made effective representation of their constituencies increasingly difficult.
The legislators further stated that their decision followed extensive consultations with political stakeholders and constituents across their respective districts.
The move is seen as a major setback for the PDP in Oyo State, as it reduces the party’s numerical strength within the state’s federal legislative caucus. Analysts suggest that the defection could reshape political alliances ahead of future elections, particularly as realignments intensify across party lines in Nigeria.
The development is also being linked to emerging political reconfigurations within the state, with observers noting growing influence of alternative platforms such as the APM in local power structures.
The defections come amid a wider trend of political party switching in Nigeria’s National Assembly, where lawmakers frequently move between parties due to internal disputes, strategic positioning, and shifting alliances ahead of election cycles.
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