AGBOOLA Ajayi, embattled Deputy Governor of Ondo State has resigned from the All Progressives Party (APC) and has joined the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The opposition party announced this on Sunday on its official Twitter handle, stating that Ajayi picked the membership card at Ward 2, Apoi, in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
“The Deputy Governor of Ondo state, Hon. Agboola Ajayi has resigned his membership of the failed@OfficialAPCNg. Hon. Agboola after his resignation, picked the @OfficialPDPNig membership card at Ward 2, Apoi, in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State,” PDP wrote on Twitter.
Ajayi had earlier tendered his resignation letter at the APC secretariat in Apoi Ward 2 as a member of the party on Sunday.
He said everybody knew why he left the APC.
This came hours after the Deputy Governor was stopped from leaving the Government House by the State’s Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami over his plans to defect to the opposition party. It was reported the Police Commissioner acted on the instruction of Akeredolu.
In a video of his encounter with Salami, Ajayi is seeing questioning the Police Chief of his interest in preventing him from leaving the Government House.
“Are you not a police officer?Ajayi asked Salami. “If I’m defecting are you a politician, are you the chairman of APC or PDP, or what is your concern?
Salami told the Deputy Governor that since he has defected he could not leave the Government House.
However, Akeredolu said he did not order security officials to stop the deputy governor from leaving the government house.
In response to a report that he ordered Ajayi to be stopped, Akeredolu said it was a ‘total misrepresentation of fact’.
“Total Misrepresentation of facts. I did not tell the Government House security to hold him back at any point. Why would I? Agbo can go anywhere he likes. I wish him well,” Akeredolu said.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94