Minimum wage debate reignites amid rising costs in Nigeria

Six Oyo House of Representatives members defect from PDP to APM

Six members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State, loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde, have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP to the Allied Peoples Movement APM. This move follows Governor Makinde's own defection to the APM, on which platform he has declared his intention to run for president in 2027. The defecting lawmakers, Anthony Adebayo, Adedeji Olajide, Sunday Makanjuola, Oyedeji Oyeshina, Fola Oyekunle, and Adigun Adekunle, cited protracted internal crisis and leadership tussles within the PDP as their reason for seeking a political alternative for their 2027 ambitions. This development means Governor Makinde has taken six out of the 14 members of the Oyo state caucus in the House of Representatives to the APM. In related defections, Auwalu Gwalabe of Bauchi also left the PDP for the APM, while Shehu Dalhatu of Katsina State moved from the All Progressives Congress APC to the PDP. Delta lawmaker Etanabene Benedict left the Labour Party for the PDP, and Alex Egbona also switched from the APC to the PDP. Additionally, Edo legislator Esosa Iyawe moved from the APC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Nasarawa lawmaker Gbefwi Gaza defected from the Social Democratic Party to the Labour Party.