9th March, 2023
By Alaba-Olusola Oke
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Thursday lost five strong grassroots leaders and their supporters to the All Progressives Congress, APC in Ondo State.
Speaking while while being received by Ade Adetimehin, the Chairman of Ondo APC in Akure, Dele Fagoriola, one of the defectors, said that they decided to join the party to turn the country around for the better with the election of Bola Tinubu as president.
Fagoriola, a former Chairman of Akure North Local Government, said that he believed in the leadership of Sen. Bola Tinubu, the president-elect and his capabilities to transform the country positively when inaugurated on May 29.
He asked all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic and religious affiliations, to support Tinubu.
Fagoriola said that Tinubu laid a good foundation for Lagos as governor, adding that when inaugurated, he would take Nigeria to a greater height and relevance in the comity of nations.
He said he joined APC to contribute his own quotas to development, adding that he is a grassroots politician that would bring immense contributions to APC, especially at the grassroots.
Similarly, Mr Adeyinka Banso, another defector, said that he left PDP considering the progressive mindset of APC.
Banso, former member of the state House of Assembly, stated that PDP had lost focus at the grassroots, state and federal levels, saying his membership and contributions in the party would be meaningless because there was serious frustration in the party.
He said that he joined the APC so that the dividends of democracy could get to him and his people.
Other leaders who decamped to the APC are Mr Femi Akinwehinmi, former officio of PDP, Mr Charles Adeduro, former Chairman of the Ondo East Local Government, and ex Chairman of Central Senatorial Chairman of PDP and Mr Boro Onibalusi.
Receiving the defectors, Adetimehin, described them as the strength of the PDP at the grassroots in the state.
He added that their exit from the PDP would vindicate APC as a party for the Progressives.
Adetimehin stated that APC was not resting on its oars but working assiduously to woo all leaders of PDP to the APC in the state.
“I have said it many times that this state is for the progressives. You can hear from them that they decided to leave the conservatives and come to the progressives family.
“Some of them were leaders of PDP, especially at the grassroots, and politics is about grassroots. They are politicians of high repute, active politicians.
“They are coming to add value to us and strengthen our votes for the next election.
“By the grace of God, more of them are still coming. Before the end of the year, there will be no PDP in this state,” he stated.
The chairman asked other leaders of APC in the state to accept the decampees and give them a level-playing ground.
(NAN)