By Jude Opara
The number of All Progressives Congress, (APC), lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly increased to 15 yesterday with the defection of Nicholas Asonsere to the ruling party in the state.
Peoples Daily reports that Nicholas Asonsere, representing Ikpoba Okha constituency in the House, was elected on the platform of PDP.
Asonsere, one of the vocal PDP lawmakers in the House, defected along with his supporters.
During the 2023 state legislative election, 15 lawmakers were elected on the platform of the PDP, APC had eight and while Labour Party had one member.
A PDP lawmaker representing Ovia Southwest constituency, Destiny Enabulele, was sacked by the Court of Appeal which declared Sunday Aghedo the winner.
The Appeal Court Judgement reduced the number of PDP lawmakers in the House to 14.
The defection of four other PDP lawmakers and the only Labour Party member in the House subsequently increased the number of APC lawmakers to 15.
The APC needs 16 members to make a two-thirds majority to effect a change in the principal officers in the House, such as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Recalls that members of the party have already assumed the positions of Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader and Chief Whip in the House, while PDP now occupies the positions of Minority Leader and Minority Whip.
Speaking after being presented with the broom, the symbol of the APC by Jarret Tenebe, the State Acting Chairman of the party, Nicholas Asonsere said he was encouraged to join APC because of the developmental strides of Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration in his constituency.
Asonsere who described his defection as “self-conditioned”, noted that he could not be on the fence while the governor was constructing a flyover bridge and other people-oriented infrastructures in his constituency.
He said he personally called the governor to tell him of his intention to join APC in order to be part of those who are contributing to his development programmes and policies.
“When I was a child, I reasoned like a child. When I was a boy, I reasoned like a boy, but now that I am a man, I should reason like a man. Therefore, it is pertinent that the labourer deserves his wages.
“I am here on self-conditioned, that is what I told the Governor last night. I am the one that called the governor, that I want to join APC.
“Somebody cannot be developing my immediate constituency, constructing a flyover bridge there and I will be on the left-hand side while he is on the right-hand side. That means I am not ready to develop the constituency and the people I am representing.
“So, I need to join my hands, to encourage and speak out to our people so that we give him the needed support to enable him (governor) to finish what he has started in my constituency.
“Because of the developmental strides the governor is doing in the shortest time he has been in office that convinced me to join APC,” he said.
In his remarks, the State Acting Chairman of APC, Jarret Tenebe, noted that the defection of the Ikpoba Okha lawmaker to the party marked another watershed moment in the political history of Edo State.
Tenebe opined that the lawmaker dumping his party to join the APC is a fresh political tsunami that has hit PDP and shaken its foundation.
“This is not just any defection; it is the departure of a political son of two of the PDP’s leading figures in Edo South, the Deputy Governorship candidate, Barrister Osarodion Ogie, and the campaign Director-General, Hon Mathew Iduoriyekemwen. What clearer sign do we need that the PDP is collapsing under the weight of its own failures.
“The defection of Hon Nicholas Asonsere epitomizes the March towards sending the PDP into political oblivion in Edo State. He was a key voice that once gave relevance to the PDP in their heydays.
