Shockwave In Edo! APC Seizes Control Of Assembly As Speaker, LG Chairmen Abandon PDP

The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading a wave of political realignment in the state.

He was joined by 17 Local Government Chairmen, numerous councillors, and several influential PDP members.

This development was confirmed on Tuesday in a statement by Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State.

According to Agbebaku, the mass defection aims to align with Governor Okpebholo’s vision for accelerated development across the state.

Receiving the defectors on behalf of APC National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, welcomed the new members and assured them of equal treatment. He described the defection as a significant boost to APC’s consolidation efforts in Edo.

Prominent figures who defected alongside Agbebaku include Hon. Sunny Ifada, Hon. Yekini Idiaye, former Deputy Speaker Hon. Roland Asoro, ex-House Majority Leader Hon. Nosa Nosayaba, and former PDP State Secretary Gabriel Oloruntoba.

Governor Okpebholo expressed optimism that the influx of political heavyweights into the APC would accelerate the state’s progress, citing major investments in infrastructure, education, agriculture, and youth employment.

He emphasized that Edo is positioned to lead the South-South region in delivering support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. “We will drive the movement from Edo State. We have the strength and the strategy,” the governor asserted.

Senator Bashiru, representing Ganduje, praised Governor Okpebholo’s leadership, especially his commitment to workers’ welfare and the ongoing road projects in Ekpoma, which he described as evidence of purposeful governance.