8th March, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
crowd at one of his campaign rallies
Total number of 1,237 members of the Abe-Igi Babaloke group in Idiroko ward, Ipokia local government council of Ogun state on Saturday defected to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.
The defectors led by their leader, Abdul Rasak Isa were received by the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun during his tour to the Ipokia local government as part of continuation of his electioneering campaign for his re-election bid.
The Abe-Igi Babaloke group is a strong group in Ipokia have been the strong hold for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon.Isiaq Abiodun Akinlade.
The group has been with him since 2003 and have delivered the area to him when he represented Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency both on the platform of PDP and ACN in 2011.
Our correspondent reliably gathered that the group fell apart with the lawmaker early this year and have been on their own, ruminating on which party to join.
A close source from the area told PM News that Hon. Isiaq Abiodun Akinlade, who is from Owode in Yewa South last month gave them a huge amount of money for feast but they concluded their plans to completely leave him.
Leader of the group, Abdul Rasak Isa, while joining APC yesterday during the rally, declared that they have come to join a moving train for the rebuilding mission, assuring the governor and the leadership of the party of total victory during the forthcoming general elections.
It was also gathered that the group decided to join the APC this time around as their kinsman is now the party flag bearer for the Federal House of Representatives.
The Yewa axis of the constituency has been producing representative in the area since 1999, and the Ipokia constituency has no choice than to support whoever presented to them.
“Adekunle Akinlade is our son, he is one of us, he is our own and we believe so much in him. With his track record when he was with the governor as a SA, we know that he will not disappoint us.
“We laboured for Isiaq Akinlade so much since 2003 but he has never fulfilled his promises to us. He believes in giving us money for party and merriment and other things not mindful of what will be beneficial to us.
“Now, our son is going there and moreover, we will be ungrateful to the present administration if we fail to identify with it. We are not deaf or blind, we are living witnesses to all the good work that are going on all around. The only thing we can do for it is to support it and all other candidates from the party, hence our decision to defect to APC,” he posited.
While addressing them, Governor Ibikunle Amosun thanked them for their belief and trust in the administration, promising them that they will never be treated in the party as newcomers.
He urged them to team up with other party members to ensure that APC wins convincingly in the area.
In a similar vein, supporters of both the Social Democratic Party, SDP and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Ilaro in Yewa South local government had on Tuesday last week, during the governor’s visit to the area, announced their defection to APC.
The SDP decampees were led by one of the strong politicians and a respected elders in the town, Chief Ogundimu.
The defectors who were numbering over 1,650 expressed satisfaction in the government of Ibikunle Amosun, pledging their loyalty and support for the APC during the forthcoming general elections in the State.
All the decampees were welcome into the party formally on Wednesday.