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By: Hakeem Gbadamosi – Akure
As it is a week to the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections, five chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from three senatorial districts of Ondo State have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with hundreds of their supporters.
The leaders, who include; Charles Adedare, Femi Akinwehinmi, Onibalusi Boro, Adeyinka Banso and Dele Fagoriola, said they decided to dump PDP because the leadership of the party in the state has lost focus and vision.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Hon Adeyinka Banso, a former member of the state 7th Assembly, lamented over the crack in the party which the leadership of the PDP failed to amend.
He noted that the internal crisis affected the party in the state and deterred the development of the PDP in Ondo state and would not allow the party to move forward hence we have to dump the party for PDP.
According to him, the crisis within the party became open the moment PDP picked a presidential candidate from the northern extraction, saying “we decided to drop the party because this was a breach of agreement.”
Banso said: “We are here to declare our unreserved and total commitment to APC. We declare total loyalty to our party leader, our governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and our party Chairman, the Jagaban of Ondo politics, Engr. Ade Adetimehin.
“Our quest to drop vision-lessness informed our defection to the progressive party. If I stay in PDP, I won’t get the opportunity to represent my people to do what will be beneficial to them. Joining APC, I can heave a sigh of relief.
“The moment my party picked a candidate from the northern extraction because it’s a breach of the agreement to me, this is not fair. I started thinking of moving to APC.”
Receiving the PDP chieftains at the APC state Secretariat, the state Chairman of APC, Engr. Ade Adetimehin said the chieftains were strong members of the PDP that had been giving APC a run for its money at every election.
Adetimehin assured the defectors of equal treatment in the party, saying they would bring development to the party, adding that they were all entitled to goodies available in the party.
He said, “I am the most happy man today. These are shakers and movers of Ondo politics. Politics is about grassroots, these gladiators are grassroots politicians popular among their people
“These are men who usually gave us tough time in the various units, wards and constituencies during the elections. They are going to add value to our party a great deal.
“With their defection, we are sure of winning the Assembly election in their various units, wards and constituencies.”
Adetimehin said with the new defectors, the remaining strong chieftains of the PDP would be drawn to APC before the end of the year.
He said: “We are happy to receive the new decampees (sic) from the PDP. With these brothers coming, we have set the ball rolling. Before the end of this year, we are going to receive all leaders of PDP into our party.
“There will be no PDP again. Ondo State shall become a full-time APC state. On behalf of the leader of our party, Akeredolu, I hereby receive you into our party, APC.
“Let’s go back to our units to join our party. All leaders in units and wards should issue membership cards to them all. If you don’t have membership cards again, come to the Secretariat to get another set.”
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