Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
Nine legislators in the Oyo State House of Assembly today defected from the parties on whose tickets they won their seats to the African Democratic Party, ADC.
The defectora are five members of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, three members the Accord party and one member of the Labour party.
The defectors: Mr Lukman Balogun (Llabour Party to ADC), Mr Bolaji Badmus, APC to ADC, Mr Azeez Billiaminu, Accord to ADC, Mr Ganiyu Oseni, APC to ADC, Mr Olusegun Olaleye, APC to ADC, Mr Samson Oguntade, Accord to ADC, and Mr Muideen Olagunju, Accord to ADC, were led by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Abdulwasi Musah with their letters of defection read on the floor of the assembly by the Clerk of the house, Mr Paul Bankole during plenary.
With the defection of the nine members, the ADC now have 12 members against the ruling APC whose membership strength stands at 18 members and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, left with two members in the house.
At the session, the state legislators unnanimously appealed to the Governor Abiola Ajimobi led administration to urgently come to the rescue of the state owned institutions with bailout funds and upgrade of subventions released to the institutions.
The appeal followed the discussions on a motion brought to the plenary by Mr Olaleye representing Ibadan North 2 state constituency entitled “financial bailout and improved subvention to Oyo state territory institutions.”
Olaleye said the speedy approval of bail out fund to state tertiary institutions in the state would prevent them from total collapse. Concurring to this position, speaker Olagunju Ojo and other legislators emphasised the need for government to take proactive steps at saving the institutions.
Also the Chairman parliamentary council Mr Olusegun Ajanaku presented a motion on the need to renovate the Obafemi Awolowo stadium for improved services.
The motion co-sponsored by Mr Fatai Adesina enjoined the federal government to hand over the management of stadium to the state for proper restoration and maximum utilization for promotion of sporting activities.