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Contrary to the earlier announcement that the Ondo State House
of Assembly is going on an indefinite recess following change in the leadership
structure, some 14 lawmakers resurfaced in the assembly complex yesterday to
elect new principal officers.

Though the sitting was very brief, two lawmakers also officially
defected to the ruling Labour Party.

At yesterday’s sitting, Dare Emiola, representing Akoko South
West Constituency II emerged as the new Deputy Speaker while Ifedayo
Akinsoyinu, representing Ondo West Constituency II was elevated to the position
of Majority leader from the position of minority leader.

Also elected were Ayodele Awodeyi and Tayo Abidakun as the
Deputy Majority Leader and Chief Whip respectively.

The only Alliance for Democracy (AD) member, Abiodun Ogunbi was
the first to defect to the Labour Party on the floor of the house before
Bakkita Bello of the PDP also followed suit.

Mr Bello, who was a former speaker of the assembly before he was
replaced by Taofik Abdusalam, told the house that he decided to pitch his tent
with the ruling party because PDP has been factionalised in the state. Mr
Abdusalam, a member of the PDP, was removed as speaker last Thursday but he is
contesting his removal.

“I am openly pledging my loyalty for the Labour Party because
PDP is gradually going into extinction in the state,” Mr Bello said.

“PDP is divided into three in the state, so I don’t want to be
part of the party any longer.”

Labour on top

However, one of the lawmakers who participated in the
impeachment exercise, Igbekele Bolodeoku was conspicuously missing at the
proceedings.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Samuel Adesina who
also defected to the ruling Party on Sunday, said the lawmakers were happy to
resume work.

He later set up a committee to look into the process of
reestablishing the different committees he earlier dissolved.

With the present development, the Labour Party is now in control of the
state parliament, while the PDP has found itself in the minority.