Ondo factional lawmakers elect new Speaker, as 3 others dump PDP

THE crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly on Monday, took a new twist as 8 out of the 13 lawmakers from. the Malachi Coker led faction elected Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun, as the new Speaker of the House of Assembly while the Speaker dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)  in the state.

The election which took place without the 13 members loyal to the embattled Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Jumoke Akindele, was organised after the Malachi Coker faction dissolved the leadership of the house.

Oleyelogun representing Ifedore Constituency defeated Hon Olamide George from Akure North Constituency with Eight votes to five to emerged as the new Speaker of the state House of Assembly

However, the 13 lawmakers expressly approved the appointment of the 18 local government chairmen appointed by the State governor before Coker stepped aside as the Speaker of the faction to pave way for Oleyelogun

However the House presided by Coker  gave the approval to the new caretaker chairmen, after the clerk of the House,  Bode Adeyelu, read the governor’s  letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, on the floor of the House.

The 13 lawmakers loyal to former Speaker, Jumoke Akindele however denied having knowledge about the development at the state House of Assembly, saying they did not boycott the sitting.

The Akindele’s faction stated that members of the group were not aware of the sitting as no notification was sent to them that there would be a sitting yesterday, while they described the sitting as abnormal saying that the  House does not usually sit on Mondays and Fridays..

The group explained that a meeting of the two factions was held with the Senior Special Assistant on Legislative Matters, Taofeek Abdulsalam, where it was resolved that the two groups should meet with governor Akeredolu.

Meanwhile, the new Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Bamidele Oloyelogun, alongside other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will today decamp to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Oleyelogun, while justifying his defection with three others said the crisis and deep-neck factionalisation within the PDP necessitated their actions.

He said ““At the national level, they have factionalized our party; they don’t know what they are doing. The same thing is applicable at the state and local government level

“We cannot continue to remain in a party that is not settled, lost focus and factionalized. It is because we know that only APC can deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.”

Oleyelogun however disco that other members of the PDP in the Assembly will soon officially announced their defection to APC during the next sitting at the floor of the House of Assembly, saying “I can authoritatively tell you that more lawmakers are on their way out of the party to join APC”

Other PDP Lawmakers that dumped the party with Oleyelogun included: the new Deputy Speaker, Ogundeji Iroju; the former Deputy Speaker, Ayodeji Arowele and Segun Ajimatokin.