A significant political shift has occurred in Edo State, with seventeen out of the eighteen legislative leaders, who assumed the role of acting chairmen following the impeachment of democratically elected local government chairmen, formally defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The move, announced on Monday, further consolidates the APC’s influence in the state.
These legislative leaders had previously taken over leadership of their respective local councils after the Edo State House of Assembly suspended the elected chairmen and their deputies for two months, citing alleged insubordination to Governor Monday Okpebholo. Following the impeachment process, the legislative leaders were appointed as acting chairmen.
Governor Okpebholo welcomed the defectors at the Government House, praising their decision to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.
“I welcome you all, our chairmen, who have come to join us, and I praise you for the courage and bravery to leave your party to join the APC. It takes a grounded politician to take this step you have taken today,” he stated.
The Governor used the occasion to highlight his administration’s achievements, contrasting it with the previous administration.
“Let me draw your minds back to where we are coming from as an administration. We practically met that Edo was not working when we came into the office. What we met in Edo was insecurity, killings, looting the Edo treasury, using consultants to deceive Edo people, and other backward policies implemented by the Obaseki-led administration, but we came and changed the narrative,” he claimed.
Okpebholo expressed optimism that other opposition leaders would follow suit, citing his administration’s focus on infrastructural development as a key driver. He also thanked the councilors for their role in the impeachment process and the subsequent election of new chairmen across the 17 local government areas.
The APC State Secretary, Lawrence Okah, representing State Chairman Jarret Tenebe, received the defectors and urged them to integrate with existing party members. Tenebe emphasized the governor’s commitment to unifying the state and delivering the dividends of democracy.
“The desire of the governor is to unite the state and ensure the people enjoy the dividends of democracy through his developmental strides,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the defecting chairmen, Kelvin Iyere, the ALGON chairman and chairman of Esan Central LGA, thanked Governor Okpebholo and the APC for their acceptance. Iyere cited an internal crisis within the PDP and a desire to support Governor Okpebholo’s development initiatives as reasons for their defection.
“We decided to decamp from PDP because of the crisis in our party and our love for the development that Governor Okpebholo has brought to Edo State,” Iyere stated.
