By DADA AYOKHAI
Hon. Marcus Onobun, the federal lawmaker representing Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The defection ceremony, where Onobun joined the APC, was attended by Governor Okpebholo. However, the event was overshadowed by the governor’s comments regarding Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate. Okpebholo warned Obi to obtain security clearance before visiting Edo State, citing concerns over violence and instability .
Before his defection, Onobun’s relationship with the Edo State government was strained. The government had marked his house for demolition, alleging that he hosted a cult meeting at his residence in Iruekpen, Esan West Local Government Area. Onobun denied these allegations, calling them “false, baseless, and politically motivated”.
The Edo State government’s decision to mark Onobun’s house for demolition was met with widespread criticism, with many believing it was a case of political intimidation due to his membership in the opposition party.
Onobun, a former Speaker of the State Assembly, further vehemently denied the allegations, stating that they were not only false and baseless but also appeared to be politically motivated, aimed at silencing the opposition.
Given Onobun’s previous statement about the allegations being politically motivated to silence the opposition, his defection to Governor Okpebholo’s party could be seen as a direct response to the pressure, suggesting that the government’s actions may have indeed had the intended effect of silencing him politically.
However on defection ,Onobun cited ideological reasons for joining the APC, stating that he wanted to support Governor Okpebholo’s efforts to develop Edo State. He emphasized his desire to work with an Esan governor, which he claimed was a long-held dream
Governor Okpebholo welcomed Onobun to the APC and expressed his intention to collaborate with him to move the state forward. The governor also mentioned that Onobun’s alleged past issues would be forgiven, implying that the planned demolition of his house would no longer proceed
