Loyalists of former governors of Ogun State, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, Chief Olusegun Osoba, as well as the incumbent, Prince Dapo Abiodun on Friday joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The decampees resigned their membership of All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and declared support for the governorship candidate of PDP, Hon. Ladi Adebutu.
The decampees were received amid funfair and jubilation at the party secretariat in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, by the Chairman of PDP, Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele, Adebutu and other leaders of the party in the state.
The decampees were led the former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Tola Banjo from Amosun’s group; Saka Ahmed from Osoba group and Yinka Asaye from Abiodun’s group.
Other decampees include: the governorship candidate of LP in the 2019 election, Modupe Sanyaolu and former councillors under the Amosun – led administration between 2016 – 2019.
Handling over the party’s flag to the decampees, the party chairman described the gale of defections as symbolic, historical and a partnership that would take PDP to Oke Mosan in 2023.
On his part, Adebutu lamented the spate of insecurity, unemployment, kidnappings, bad roads, and lack of quality healthcare services in the state.
He described the Abiodun – led administration as a failed government and called on the people of the state to vote him out in 2023.
Adebutu urged aggrieved members of the APC and other members of the opposition parties to join the PDP in defeating APC in the next election.
He assured the decampees of fairness, saying “everyone has equal rights in this party and our Permanent Voters Card (PVC) is our way to freedom”.
“We all know that all is not well with governance in Ogun state. Don’t be deceived by this government, we are going to give them the Osun treatment”, Adebutu said.
In his remarks, the deputy governorship candidate of the party, Hon. Abdulkadir Adekunle Akinlade said PDP will not only defeat APC in 2023, but also send the party into early retirement.
Akinlade said, “there is a lot happening now across the state, what is happening is what they call transfer window in the EPL, but don’t be bothered by their (APC) moves, they are only recruiting expired politicians into their party.
“We are not going to struggle with them (APC), we are going to beat them and ensure that we relegate them come 2023.”