From Staff Writer
A seismic shift rattled the political landscape of Edo State on Tuesday, as an unprecedented mass defection sent shockwaves through the ranks of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In what analysts are already calling a “political tsunami,” the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, led a high-powered convoy of 18 Local Government Chairmen, dozens of councillors, and heavyweight PDP stalwarts straight into the welcoming arms of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The dramatic switch instantly tilted the balance of power in the House of Assembly, handing the APC a commanding majority with 18 out of 24 seats — a development that could signal the beginning of the end for the PDP’s dominance in the State.
Addressing a jubilant crowd of party faithful, Speaker Agbebaku declared the move as “a bold step to realign with the forces of development,” praising Governor Monday Okpebholo’s leadership and vision for a “new, progressive Edo.”
The defection caravan included former Deputy Speaker Hon. Roland Asoro, ex-Majority Leader Hon. Nosa Nosayaba, Hon. Sunny Ifada, Hon. Yekini Idiaye, and former PDP State Secretary Gabriel Oloruntoba — a high-profile exodus that has left the PDP in disarray.
The APC’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, received the defectors with open arms on behalf of National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, declaring the event a “watershed moment” for the party’s resurgence in the South-South.
Governor Okpebholo, riding high on a wave of political momentum, assured the new party entrants of full integration, adding that Edo is on a “fast lane of transformation,” thanks to the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“From flyovers to farming, from education to enterprise — we are rewriting Edo’s story,” he said. “This defection is not just political, it is prophetic. Edo will lead the South-South in re-electing President Tinubu come 2027.”
Firebrand politician and former Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, described the moment as a “homecoming for Agbebaku and the original APC family,” hailing it as proof that the governor’s performance is “turning political opponents into believers.”
In a biting remark, APC Woman Leader Betty Okoebor likened the PDP to a “sinking ship,” asserting that “only those clinging to political delusion remain aboard.”
Party insiders say the defections are far from over, hinting that more PDP loyalists are in talks to jump ship amid a growing perception that the APC is now the engine of progress in Edo.
Edo APC Chairman Jarrett Tenebe summed up the mood: “This is no fluke. The people are voting with their feet, and they are marching straight into the future — with the APC.”
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