Sunny Ojiezele, the representative for Esan South East Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), has rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ojiezele, who announced his defection on Monday, described the move as a “homecoming.”
The lawmaker officially returned to the APC at the party’s State Secretariat in Benin City, citing irreconcilable differences within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the reason for his decision. Ojiezele, a former APC member, initially defected to the PDP in 2019 alongside former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Explaining his return, Ojiezele stated:
> “I owe a debt to the APC, which is why I am back today to repay it. In 2019, I left the APC for the PDP due to irreconcilable differences. However, with the current challenges facing the PDP, I have decided to return to the party that originally gave me my mandate in the House of Assembly.”
Assembly Passes N675 Billion Budget for 2025
In a related development, the Edo State House of Assembly has approved a revised budget of N675 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. This follows the presentation and adoption of a report by the House Committee on Budget and Project Monitoring during plenary.
The committee’s chairman, Sunday Fada (PDP, Esan Central), explained that the budget includes N225 billion for recurrent expenditure and N451 billion for capital projects. Fada noted that the adjustment was necessary to support Governor Godwin Obaseki’s five-point agenda aimed at advancing development in the state.
The budget, initially pegged at N605.7 billion, was increased after a clause-by-clause review by the House Committee on Supply. Speaker Blessing Agbebaku directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to forward clean copies of the approved budget to the governor for assent.
This development underscores a renewed focus on governance and fiscal planning as Edo State prepares for the coming year.