More defections hit Osun PDP as two Reps’ members join APC

• Osun Assembly members deny plan to dump PDP
• Pledge loyalty to Adeleke

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State suffered another setback, yesterday, as two of its members in the House of Representatives defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmakers, Taofik Ajilesoro representing Ife Central/East/North/South Federal Constituency and Omirin Olusanya representing Atakunmosa East/Atakunmosa West/Ilesa East/Ilesa West Federal Constituency, announced their resignation from the PDP in separate letters read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during plenary.

Their defection coincided with that of Marcus Onobun, representing Esan Central/West/Igueben Federal Constituency in Edo State, bringing the number of PDP lawmakers who dumped the party yesterday to three.

Ajilesoro said his decision followed careful consideration and extensive consultations with political associates and constituents, adding that the entrenched and irreconcilable divisions in the PDP had made it impossible to continue.

Olusanya, in his letter, lamented that the PDP’s prolonged leadership crisis had shut the door on viable political engagement, leaving him with no choice but to join a platform that can guarantee stability and progress.

Onobun, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, also linked his defection to the PDP’s collapse as a national platform, saying his move would allow him to better deliver dividends of democracy to his constituents.

MEANWHILE, members of the Osun State House of Assembly, under the platform of the ruling PDP, have debunked alleged planned defection to the opposition APC.

The Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, while addressing journalists yesterday, at the Assembly Complex, said the party is on ground and that none of them had any intention of defecting to another party.

Similarly, other 24 PDP lawmakers debunked the insinuation that they are defecting to the APC.

“We are loyal to our party, the PDP, and we remain on the ground. The defection rumour is a tactic to distract the governor,” Egbedun said.

The Assembly members, who pledged their loyalty to Governor Ademola Adeleke and the ruling party, also declared their unalloyed support for the second term ambition of the governor ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial election in the state, stressing that they had no plan to dump the PDP.