Edo Speaker, others dump APC for PDP

The Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Frank Abumere Okiye and six other members of the Edo Assembly, on Tuesday formally defected from the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on the floor of the house.

The Speaker who announced the defection at plenary session added that he had received letters from the six members including himself, expressing their desires to decamp to the ruling party in the state so as to identify with the developmental strides of Governor Godwin Obaseki to move Edo State forward.

Okiye noted that the sharp divisions and factions in the All Progressive Congress Party (APC) in the state was one of the reasons they decided to cross to PDP, to enable them to perform their duties effectively as representative of their constituencies.

Those who formally defected are Rt. Hon Frank Okiye, Hon. Asoro Osadebamwen Roland. Hon. Aluebhosele Ephraim; Hon. Ojiezele Osezua Sunday; Hon. Okhuarobor Henry. Hon. Okoduwa Emma and Hon. Marcus Onobun.

Rounding off the session, Okiye congratulated the Governor Obaseki and his Deputy, Rt. Hon Phillip Shaibu, on their victory at the just concluded governorship election.

The speaker added that the governor’s victory was a victory for the Edo people, whom he noted, spoke with one voice at the poll and urged them to be magnanimous in victory.