Ogun Assembly one-party collapse as PDP loses all lawmakers after mass defections give APC full control of the legislature
The political balance of the Ogun State House of Assembly has shifted decisively after a wave of defections handed the All Progressives Congress full control of the legislature, completing what observers describe as an **Ogun Assembly One-Party Collapse.
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The transformation followed the defection of the remaining six Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers to the ruling APC, effectively erasing opposition representation in the 26-member chamber.
What began in 2023 as a competitive Assembly, with 17 APC members and nine PDP legislators, has now become a single-party legislature under full APC dominance.
The final collapse of PDP representation marks the end of a gradual political erosion that began shortly after the 2023 elections.
The first major disruption occurred in November 2023 following a legal dispute over the Ikenne State Constituency, which ultimately resulted in the Court of Appeal nullifying the election of Babajide Owoduni of the PDP and ordering the issuance of a Certificate of Return to APC candidate Olakunle Sobukanla.
That judgment reduced the PDP presence and set off a chain of political realignments that continued into the following year.
The opposition further weakened when two lawmakers, Rasheed Kashamu and Lukman Atobatele, defected to the APC, leaving the PDP with only a handful of members in the chamber.
The final shift came after six PDP lawmakers, including Minority Leader Lukman Adeleye, formally joined the APC, confirming what he described as alignment with the presidency and the ruling structure at the federal level.
Lukman Adeleye cited internal crisis within the PDP, pointing to factional divisions at the national level as a key factor influencing the decision to defect.
He stated that remaining in the opposition under the prevailing conditions was politically untenable, adding that aligning with the ruling party was a more stable option ahead of future elections.
With the latest defections, APC lawmakers now hold every seat in the Ogun State House of Assembly, creating what Adeleye described as a “homogeneous house”.
The development has sparked strong criticism from the PDP, with state party secretary Sunday Solarin describing the mass defection as a betrayal of the mandate given to the lawmakers by voters.
Sunday Solarin argued that while the lawmakers retained their legislative seats, they abandoned the party platform on which they were elected, calling it an act of political inconsistency.
He insisted that those who no longer believe in the PDP should resign their seats and seek fresh mandates under their new political platform.
Despite losing all representation in the Assembly, the PDP maintained that its structure remains intact and vowed to continue political mobilisation in the state.
In contrast, the APC described the development as evidence of strong governance performance under Governor Dapo Abiodun, arguing that political stability reflects public approval of the ruling party’s leadership.
APC spokesperson Nuberu Femi said the defections demonstrate confidence in the government’s direction and described legislative alignment with the executive as beneficial for development and governance continuity.
However, public affairs analyst Comrade Olayinka Folarin warned that the emergence of a single-party legislature poses risks to democratic balance and political accountability.
He argued that while defections are constitutionally permitted, the absence of opposition voices in the legislature could limit public choice and weaken oversight functions.
Folarin added that elected officials must prioritise constitutional responsibility over party loyalty, stressing that democracy depends on accountability rather than political uniformity.
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As the dust settles, the Ogun Assembly One-Party Collapse has triggered wider debate on Nigeria’s evolving democratic structure and the long-term implications of weakened opposition politics at state level.
