AHEAD of the July 16 governorship election in Osun State, a factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Wale Ojo has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ojo defected to the APC with other members of his faction.
Those that defected with Ojo include Albert Adeogun, the running mate to the party’s flagbearer, Ademola Adeleke in the 2018 governorship election, Ayodele Asalu, a former member of the House of Representatives and Soji Ibikunle, a party stalwart.
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The leadership of the APC in the state said 10,000 PDP members defected to the party.
They were received by the incumbent governor Gboyega Oyetola and APC National Secretary Iyiola Omisore, at the Freedom Park, Osogbo, the state capital, on Tuesday.
In his speech, Omisore commended the defectors for taking the decision to move to the APC.
He described their decision as noble and thoughtful.
“We have received you wholeheartedly and welcomed you into an atmosphere of equality and justice. We invite you to join hands with us and let us work together for the development of our beloved Osun and our nation,” Omisore said.
On his part, Oyetola commended the new members for taking a bold and decisive step to enhance their political stature, saying that APC is known for fair play.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Ojo attributed their decision to defect to the ruling party to the need to align with Oyetola, who he described as a symbol of excellence and progress.
He added that joining the PDP was like joining an association of what he called wasters.
“Joining the opposition in Osun is like joining forces with wasters. Parties that have become serial failures are not worth following for anyone who is serious and driven by excellence. That is why we have come to align with a symbol of excellence and progress in Governor Oyetola,” Ojo said.
Corroborating Ojo’s position, Adeogun lauded Oyetola for bringing stability to the state, adding that a vote for the APC candidate was a vote for liberation.
Also speaking at the event, Ayodele Asalu, Soji Ibikunle and Lanre Arogundade described Oyetola as a faithful and true leader.
They also lauded Oyetola for what they described as high-impact infrastructural development which they said their respective local governments have benefitted from.
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