The gale of defections that hit the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) has spread to Oyo State, with a member of
the House of Representatives, two former members on the
platform of Accord and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a
PDP governorship aspirant, a PDP Women leader as well
as former local government chairmen of the PDP and
thousands of their supporters joined the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
They defectors are Hon. Afeez Jimoh, Folake Olunloyo-
Osinowo, Tayo Sarumi, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, Mrs Ayoka
Lawani and former Chairman, Iseyin Local Government, Mr
Waheed Adeleke, among other party leaders.
They were received at an event at the Mapo Hall in Ibadan
on Wednesday by Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Osun State
Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who represented President-elect
Muhammadu Buhari and the National Leader Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu.
The defectors said they were leaving their parties for the
APC because they discovered that only the APC held hope
for and Oyo State in particular.
Hon Olunloyo-Osinowo, daughter of Second Republic
Governor Omololu Olunloyo, said all the members of the
PDP in Ibadan South West and Ibadan North West had
defected to the APC, stating that they identified with
progressive ideology and believed that only the party
would take the country to the promised land.
“God has deserted PDP and Nigerians have rejected it.
That was why we left the party. The APC remains the only
party that can take Nigeria to her land of destiny,” she
said.
Another former PDP member of the House of
Representatives and now a chieftain of the Accord, Hon.
Sarumi, said his former party had become a sinking ship
that would meet its waterloo at the governorship polls on
Saturday.
Former governorship aspirant Dr. Adeduntan urged the
Accord governorship candidate, Senator Rashidi Ladoja to
prepare for the Olubadan stool as he would be retired
finally from politics on Saturday. He said former Governor
Adebayo Alao-Akala should also prepare for his retirement
from politics.
Lawani said she left the PDP because of the sterling
performance of the APC-led government, adding that with
the APC occupying the centre in Abuja, there would be
quicker development in Oyo State.
Receiving the defectors, Aregbesola said the President-
elect and other leaders of the party could not attend the
event due to other party engagements. He said they sent
their appreciation of the massive votes that the people of
the state gave the APC in the presidential/National
Assembly elections.
Aregbesola called on state electorate not to identify with
the people he called “emergency progressives” whom he
said wanted to reap where they did not sow, saying that it
had shown that they were fake.
Ajimobi congratulated the defectors for what he called the
decapitation of “the sore thumb of Oyo politics”.
Ajimobi debunked “the sinister rumour” that immediately
he is re-elected, he would increase hotel tariffs and taxes.
He promised that the old and new members would benefit
from the government.
Others at the ceremony were Osun State Deputy Governor
Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, Abiola Ajimobi, former House of
Representatives Speaker Patricia Etteh, all senators-elect,
House of Representatives-elect and many others.