Mass Defection Hits Oyo State Assembly

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, September 18th, 2018

OYO, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker Hon. Olagunju Ojo, the Minority Leader and five other lawmakers have defected to three different political parties.

The Clerk of the House, Mr. Paul Bankole, read the separate letters of defection written by the lawmakers during the Tuesday plenary session in Ibadan, the State capital.

The Speaker (Orire), Mrs Wunmi Oladeji (Ogbomoso North) and Solomon Olukayode (Ogbomoso South) of Labour Party (LP) defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Similarly, Gbenga Oyekola (Atiba) and Peter Oyetunji (Ogo Oluwa/Surulere), both of LP crossed to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) respectively.

The Minority Leader, Mr Ademola Ige (Accord Party-Ibadan South-East II) and Mr. Fatai Adesina (Accord Party-Ibadan South-East I) also defected to ADC.

Meanwhile, the House has appealed to the State Commissioner of Police (CP) Abiodun Odude, to make conscious efforts to put a stop to gang-related crimes and violence in Oyo town.

Similarly, it urged the CP to deploy competent police units to tackle activities of criminal gangs.

This followed a Matter of Urgent Public Importance raised by Mr. Muideen Olagunju (Accord Party-Oyo East/Oyo West) during the plenary.

Olagunju stressed that the dramatic upsurge in gang warfare within the town has resulted to death and destruction of properties.

“The acts of violence are traceable to battle for supremacy among bands of youths in certain black spots within the town.

“During these battles of attritions, the gangs engage in spates of physical attacks, maiming, property damage, looting and sadly, killings.

“More often than not, innocent citizens bear the brunt of these acts of violence especially in Agunpopo, Balogun, Apara, Apinni, Ilaka, Akesan Motor Park, Iseke and Tengbe.

“It calls for concern that in spite of the fact that Oyo town and its environs have four Divisional Police Headquarters, one Area Command as well as a unit of SARS, it appears the gangs are controllable with low rate of arrests and prosecution of offenders,” Olagunju restated.

Following the appeal, the Speaker directed the House Committee on Security and Special Duties to monitor relevant authorities to act swiftly so as to curtail the raging violence.