Three Edo Lawmakers Defect to NDC, Shifting Political Landscape
Three members of the Edo State House of Assembly have left the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defection positions the NDC as the primary opposition party in Edo State.
The affected lawmakers are Charity Aiguobarhueghian, representing Ovia North-East I Constituency; Natasha Osawaru, representing Egor Constituency; and Omosigho Frank, representing Oredo East Constituency. The Edo NDC Chairman, Babatunde Olukoga, announced the defections in a letter addressed to Assembly Speaker Blessing Agbebaku.
Olukoga Nominates New Minority Leaders
In the letter, Olukoga urged Speaker Agbebaku to acknowledge the defections and nominated Osawaru as the new Minority Leader and Omosigho as Minority Whip. “This is to notify the Edo State House of Assembly of the defection of three members to the NDC. We are also informing the House of those who have been nominated as officers of the minority in the Assembly,” Olukoga stated, as reported by The Punch.
With these defections, the NDC is set to become the main opposition party in Edo State ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaker Questions Due Process, Steps Down NDC Letter
However, the Majority Leader, Jonathan Ibhamawu, called for the NDC’s letter to be stepped down, arguing that it did not follow due process. He insisted that the three lawmakers should have announced their defection before their new party notified the House. Following this argument, Speaker Blessing Agbebaku set aside the NDC letter but assured that the requests would be considered once proper procedures were followed.
Broader Trend of Cross-Party Defections
This development is part of a wider trend of lawmakers switching parties ahead of the 2027 elections. Recently, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda defected from the PDP to the APC, resigning his leadership position. Six Oyo lawmakers also transitioned from the PDP to the Allied Peoples Movement, reshaping House dynamics. Similarly, Zamfara State Speaker Bilyaminu Moriki and 12 lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC amid political shifts in the state, following Governor Dauda Lawal’s defection to the APC.
These movements underscore the fluid political alliances as parties jostle for position ahead of the next general elections.
