The minority leader of the Ogun House of Assembly, Lukman Adeleye, and five other lawmakers have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

The lawmakers announced their defection in a letter read by the speaker of the assembly, Oludaisi Elemide, during plenary on Tuesday.

Following the defection, the assembly now comprises 26 APC lawmakers.

According to the letter, the defecting lawmakers cited internal crises within the PDP as the primary reason for their decision.

They said the ongoing crisis within the party had hindered effective political engagement, prompting their decision to align with a more progressive platform to better serve their constituents.

“We remain resolute in our commitment to our legislative duties, as well as to the improved welfare and overall development of our constituents.

“We also use this opportunity to appreciate the leadership and members of the house for their support and cooperation. Kindly accept this letter as our official notification and accord it the necessary recognition in line with established legislative protocols,” the letter stated.

The defecting lawmakers include Dickson Awolaja (Remo North), Samsudeen Lawal (Ogun Waterside), Waliu Owode (Ijebu East), Oluseun Adesanya (Ijebu North-East), and Damilare Bello (Sagamu).

In a related development, the Assembly acknowledged nominees forwarded by Gov. Dapo Abiodun for the State Independent Electoral Commission.

Additionally, four bills (Survey and Geoinformatics, Judicial Institute, Education Trust Fund, and Rural Roads Amendment) scaled first reading during the plenary.

(NAN)