Sen. Balogun defects to APC

Mr Kola Balogun, the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Balogun’s notice of defection is contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and read at the start of plenary on Wednesday.

His defection brings the number of APC Senators in the upper chamber to 70.

According to the lawmaker, his decision to defect from the PDP followed the lack of internal democracy in the party at the state level for the emergence of leaders and representatives.

He said that the development had further led to the existence of several factions and aggrieved groups within the party.

Balogun’s defection letter reads in part. “The decision to resign was informed by the imposition of who should emerge as the legitimate representatives of the people by the leadership of PDP.

“This unconstitutional, flagrant and dictatorial procedure for the emergence of leaders and representatives of the people has led to factions within the party.

“This is breeding several aggrieved groups within the party and mass exodus of key leaders from the party.

“This development has laid the foundation for the failure of the party at subsequent polls and also stands to jeopardise the political future and interest of my people, who had worked assiduously to get me elected in the 2019 February elections.

“Rising from the meeting of key stakeholders in my district on April 27, my people unanimously decided that I should resign my membership of the PDP as they were ready to also defect en masse with me to the APC with immediate effect.

“This notification becomes exigency in order to intimate the distinguished Members of the Senate with the recent political developments in the PDP-led administration in Oyo and the direction in which my people and I are presently focused.”