Ahead of the March 18 governorship and state assembly election, Isaac Omodewu, APC chairman in Oyo, says members of five pro-PDP groups have joined their ranks.

Mr Omodewu said this on Monday in Ibadan while receiving the defectors to the party. They had pledged to support APC’s governorship flag bearer Teslim Folarin.

The groups are Omititun Youth Vanguard, led by Sanyaolu Adeyemo, GSM Marines, coordinated by Yemi Oyebamiji, All Youth Grand Alliance, led by Isamotu Twins, IBK Vanguard of Mr Ibukun Olu-Afolabi and an unnamed group led by Afolami Afolabi.

Mr Omodewu thanked them for taking the bold step by jumping out of the “sinking PDP boat” and identifying the APC as the right alternative.

“Oyo APC is Noah’s ark of our contemporary Nigeria, and anyone who looks away from the broom party is doing himself a lot of harm than good. We have found that your respective groups are populated by more than 7,000 people, and we are using this medium to encourage you to use your strength in favour of the APC come Saturday,” the APC chief in Oyo said.

At the event to welcome the defectors to the party were APC secretary Tajudeen Olanite and vice-chairman (Oyo Central) Joshua Oyebamiji.

Messrs Olanite and Oyebamiji, in separate remarks, urged the defectors to put the memory of whatever they went through in PDP behind them. They also urged them to focus on the massive mobilisation of people to vote for APC candidates on March 18.

The leaders of the various groups mobilised their members to the APC secretariat, where they were formally received.

Messrs Adeyemo, Oyebamiji, Olu-Afolabi and Afolabi regretted supporting Governor Seyi Makinde before, during and after the 2019 election.

Mr Adeyemo said his group defected to APC because they saw a better alternative in the party.

Mr Oyebamiji said they quit PDP because of a better alternative in the APC, which has retained power at the centre.

(NAN)