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 governor Seyi Makinde’s influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
The lawmakers announced their defection during Tuesday’s plenary session of the House of Representatives, with Speaker Tajudeen Abbas reading their letters on the floor of the chamber.
The defectors are Anthony Adebayo, Adedeji Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Fola Oyekunle and Adigun Adekunle.
In separate letters, the lawmakers attributed their decision to the prolonged leadership crisis and internal disputes within the PDP, saying they needed a new political platform to pursue their ambitions ahead of the next general elections.
The latest move comes weeks after Makinde left the PDP for the APM and declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
With the defections, six of Oyo State’s 14 house of representatives members have now aligned with the governor in the APM.
The wave of defections also extended beyond Oyo. In Bauchi State, Auwalu Gwalabe left the PDP for the APM, while Shehu Dalhatu defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Similarly, Delta lawmaker Etanabene Benedict moved from the Labour Party to the PDP, citing the crisis within the Labour Party.
The PDP also gained Alex Egbona from the APC, while Edo lawmaker Esosa Iyawe defected from the APC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, blaming irreconcilable differences with the APC leadership in Edo State.
In another switch, Nasarawa lawmaker Gbefwi Gaza left the Social Democratic Party for the Labour Party.
