With three months to the November 16 governorship election in Ondo state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has suffered a major loss as scores of its members and leaders have announced their defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). 

The defectors announced their decision to join the APC at a meeting held with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in Akure on Wednesday, in what now appears to be a blow to the opposition PDP ahead of the exercise.

Mostly close allies and associates of erstwhile governor Olusegun Mimiko, the PDP leaders said that they have resigned their membership of the party and decided to ally with the APC-led government in the state.

Peoples Gazette reports that top among the defectors are: Joseph Akinlaja, a former member of the House of Representatives; Jumoke Akindele, a former speaker of the State House of Assembly; Gboye Adegbenro, a former commissioner for works in the state; Kolade Akinjo, a former member of the House of Representatives.

Others include Gboluga Ikengboju, a former member of the House of Representatives; Lad Ojomo; Jide Adejuyigbe; Tunde Atere; Ebenezer Alabi; Ajani Oladipo; Funmilola Oluwadare; Solomon Adelegan; Femi Bosede; Yele Ogundipe; and Eni Akinsola, among others.

In a brief statement signed by 29 defectors and released after their meeting with Mr Aiyedatiwa, the new APC members said their former party was not being positioned for victory as the governorship election draws near, adding that they needed to be part of the process that would lead Mr Aiyedatiwa to victory in the forthcoming election.  

“We the undersigned citizens of Ondo State, associates of the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, and political leaders in our rights, after a series of consultations and discussions resolved to join and have joined the All Progressives Congress APC, most of us having resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,” they said.

According to them, “the reasons for joining the APC could be summarised as follows: the need to be part of the processes that will lead to the election of Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa as Governor of Ondo State; the need to be part of an obvious effort to reposition our state on the path of continuous prosperity and peace; and the need to contribute to the efforts of the President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to frontally tackle the challenges facing our nation and bring needed peace, equity and progress to the states and the country at large.”

Noting that they have in the past few days been mobilising their colleagues, friends, and associates to join the APC, the defectors added they are ready to absolve themselves into the ruling party. 

“We do not boast of any magic wand but are ready to commit time and energy to the growth and progress of the party we have chosen to join, a party that has consistently proved to be more open to new members and new ideas.

“We need to state that many more of our colleagues and associates will be joining in the days and weeks ahead for the same reasons identified above.

We add that flowing from our interactions with HE Governor Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa and the Chairman of the APC, Hon Ade Adetimehin, the date and time of an official welcome programme will be announced soon.”

Some of them added that it was better to work for Mr Aiyedatiwa’s victory in the coming election than to stay in the opposition party and work for Agboola Ajayi, whom they accused of not recognising their efforts. 

But in a swift reaction, the spokesman for Mr Ajayi’s campaign organisation, Ayo Fadaka said the party remained unperturbed and unshaken about the decamping of the members and leaders to the ruling APC.

Mr Fadaka explained that the exit of the members has only robbed them of the credibility to command followership as they embark on the solo journeys, noting that the PDP has not suffered any damage due to their departure.

“We also emphatically place on record that previous to their leaving, they have ceased to be relevant to developments within the party, completely detached from our preparations for the election, and had remained redundant within the party for a considerable length of time, as such, their leaving cannot be described as a loss to the PDP, so to say! They were excess baggage waiting to be shed. 

“We, therefore wish to assure the public, our supporters and sympathisers that our preparation to win the election is undisturbed by the actions of these few people and our commitment to win the election and re-birth a new Ondo State where the welfare of the people will be the commanding prerogative of the PDP administration, will become manifest by the grace of God and support of the people,” he said in a statement obtained by The Gazette.