Members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.
The defectors were received into the PDP by the deputy governorship candidate of the party in Ogun, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade in Ipokia Local Government Area of the State.
Akinlade received the decampees alongside the PDP Chairman in Ipokia Local Government, Alimi Orisadare and the State Deputy Chairman, Hon. Kayode Bamgbose at a reception held at the party’s secretariat in Ipokia.
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The decampees were led into the PDP by Hon. Michael Olalowo, a loyalist of former governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Olalowo, who was the former Chairman of the APC and the Allied People’s Movement (APM), became a leader of the ADC following Amosun’s interest in the party’s governorship aspirant, Biyi Otegbeye.
In his words, Olalowo described their defection into the PDP as home-coming, saying “we all started with Sen. Ibikunle Amosun in the PDP as far back as 2002.”
Olalowo disclosed that he and his fellow decampees had gone from one political party to another with Amosun, saying, “it is now 360 back to PDP.”
He noted that, with the likes of Akinlade and Hon. Hosu Adeniyi on the ballot in Ipokia, “PDP is definitely the party to beat.”
Other leaders of the group noted that apart from their love for Akinlade, they want to support a party that is well prepared to deliver good governance, with an attractive blueprint to remodel Ogun State and facilitate grassroots development.
They promised to return home and mobilize other potential voters in Ipokia to deliver votes for the PDP in 2023.
Handing over the party’s flags and copies of the agreement he signed with the PDP, Akinlade said: “Our journey to the PDP can be likened to that of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ in the Bible. You all know that I am a product of Sen. Amosun’s political structure. Thus my joining the PDP is to clear the ground for you all.
“I cannot be a commissioner, special adviser or SSA at the same time as the Deputy Governor, so this document is for all our people that will be joining us to send the APC away, so we can collectively start the process of healing and rebuilding our dear state,” he said.
Party leaders at the reception ceremony included: Alhaji Jimoh Afose, Chief Fatai Adeoti, Hon. Olumide Bankole, Hon. Elijah Ogunleye, Hon. Tayo Oyekanmi, Hon. Tawa Ojo, Hon. Kudirat Adeleye, Hon. Kuburat Adeyemi, Ganiu Musa, Hon. Oluwatosin Mautin among others.
