Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday strengthened his political hold in the House of Representatives as six federal lawmakers from the Oyo caucus, who are loyal to him, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Allied Peoples Movement.
The defections were announced during plenary shortly after the House resumed from the Sallah break.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the sitting, read 13 letters from lawmakers notifying the House of their change of political parties.
The six Oyo lawmakers who moved from the PDP to the APM are Anthony Adebayo, Adedeji Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Fola Oyekunle and Adigun Adekunle.
Their defection comes a few weeks after Governor Makinde left the PDP for the APM, the platform on which he has already declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
In their separate letters, the lawmakers cited the protracted internal crisis and leadership tussle within the PDP as the reason for their decision to seek a new political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
With the development, Makinde has now moved six out of the 14 members of the Oyo State caucus in the House of Representatives to the APM.
The defections further underline the governor’s growing influence within the state’s federal legislative bloc and signal a widening realignment in Oyo politics ahead of 2027.
However, the PDP both lost and gained members during Tuesday’s plenary.
In Bauchi State, Auwalu Gwalabe also defected from the PDP to the APM.
But in Katsina State, Shehu Dalhatu, who represents Faskari/Kankara/Sabuwa Federal Constituency, left the ruling All Progressives Congress for the PDP.
In his defection letter, Dalhatu said his decision followed careful consideration of issues within the APC and consultations with his constituents.
“After careful consideration of the issues in the APC and having consulted with my constituencies, I have resolved to join the PDP,” he said.
The PDP also gained Etanabene Benedict from Delta State, who left the Labour Party for the PDP, citing the crisis within the LP in the South-South state.
Similarly, Alex Egbona dumped the APC for the PDP, while assuring that his commitment to the House and his constituency remained firm.
In Edo State, lawmaker Esosa Iyawe, who has changed parties multiple times within three years, again left the APC, this time for the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
Iyawe blamed what he described as irreconcilable differences with the Edo State chapter of the APC for his latest defection.
Also, Nasarawa lawmaker, Gbefwi Gaza, announced his defection from the Social Democratic Party to the Labour Party.
The wave of defections reflects the growing political realignments in the National Assembly as parties and lawmakers reposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
