Seventeen out of the 18 local government chairmen in Edo State on Wednesday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

However, the acting Chairman of Oredo Local Government, Harrison Izekor, was notably absent from the defection ceremony, which took place at the New Festival Hall in the Government House.

The LG chairmen defection comes days after PDP lawmakers in the state House of Assembly defected to the APC, giving the ruling party majority status in the legislature.

On Wednesday, Governor Mondday Okpebholo welcomed the new members to the APC, praising their courage and political foresight in making the decision to leave the PDP.

He emphasised the transformation his administration had brought to the state in just four months, highlighting his efforts to change the state’s narrative and improve the lives of its people.

“Let me draw your minds back to where we are coming from as an administration. We practically met Edo that was not working when we came into office. What we met in Edo were insecurity, killings, looting of state treasury using consultants to deceive Edo people and other backward policies implemented by the Obaseki-led administration, but we came and changed the narrative,” he said.

Governor Okpebholo also expressed gratitude to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Senator representing Edo North, and the APC State Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, for their continuous support.

He thanked the councillors for voicing the concerns of their communities, which ultimately led to the impeachment of the previous chairmen and the appointment of the new ones.

He said, “I also thank the councillors who spoke for their various communities through the impeachment exercises in the councils and subsequent appointment of these new chairmen across the 17 local government areas of the State.”

Okpebholo and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, reiterated their commitment to the state’s development, stating that they had come to rescue Edo State from its previous state of decline.

He said: “We are committed to the development of Edo State. We have come to rescue the state.”

The governor expressed hope that more opposition party leaders would join the APC due to his administration’s infrastructural strides.

He added: “I am optimistic that leaders of the opposition parties in the state would join the APC fold following my infrastructural development strides in the state.”

The party’s secretary, Lawrence Okah, who received the new members, urged them to unite with existing APC members to support the governor’s vision for a developed Edo State.

He said: “The desire of the governor is to unite the State and ensure the people enjoy the dividends of democracy through his developmental strides.”

Responding on behalf of the new chairmen, the ALGON chairman and Chairman of Esan Central Local Government Area, Kelvin Iyere, thanked the governor and APC members for accepting them into the party.

He stated: “We decided to decamp from PDP because of the crisis in our party and our love for the development that Governor Okpebholo has brought to Edo State.”

Okpebholo also expressed support for President Bola Tinubu, emphasisng that the APC was poised to secure a re-election victory in 2027.

However, Publicity Secretary of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Edo State, Chris Nehikhare, accused Okpebholo of using state resources to bribe councillors into defecting to the APC.

He said: “Senator Monday Okpebholo has summoned all councillors from the 18 local councils of Edo State, in a desperate attempt to woo them with N2m each to decamp to the All Progressives Congress.”

He described the use of state funds to buy political loyalty as “reckless” and “unacceptable.”

“We condemn in the strongest terms the reckless use of state resources to purchase support and loyalty, while critical sectors of the state remain in dire need of government intervention, from security to public safety and order, revenue generation, education, and healthcare, among others,” Nehikhare said.

He urged Okpebholo to redirect resources toward addressing the state’s pressing issues, such as security, education, healthcare, and public safety, rather than using them for political gains.

“Rather than wasting resources on buying political support and loyalty, we urge him to channel these resources into meaningful projects that will positively impact the people of the State during his short period at Dennis Osadebe Avenue,” he said.