Thousands of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members loyal to former Governor Gbenga Daniel, former deputy governor, Salmot Badru and Joju Fadairo, former PDP Chairman in Ogun state, among other party chieftains, officially collapsed PDP structure into All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, signifying the end of the subtle political alliance entered into in the build-up to 2019 governorship poll which brought in Govenor Dapo Abiodun.
Joining the political train of defectors to APC in the state at the formal declaration and presentation of party flag held at Ake, Abeokuta, was the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, who also collapsed his “Believe Movement” into the ruling party, having contested governorship poll three times without victory.
Welcoming the defectors to APC’s political family in the state, Govenor Dapo Abiodun asked the defectors and returnees to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) through the right channel and not through backdoor, saying all returnees should come to the party and declare openly.
Making an indirect reference to the former gubernatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Adekunle Akinlade who alongside others recently returned to APC to come out openly and declare for the party they had earlier left for APM, boasting that with the development that had just occured in the state, “APC remains the only political party in the state.”
He however warned against discrimination in the party as there are still many political positions left behind for those that just joined the APC, adding that “there is no new entrants, I do not want to hear of any discrimination between those that joined us and those of us that have been on ground before. We are all one.
“Nobody can say he or she is joining us through the backdoor or through the window, that is illegal. If anyone wants to join us, he will come through the proper channel.”
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole represented by the Zonal Secretary (Southwest), Ayo Afolabi alongside the governor and the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Yemi Sanusi jointly presented party flag to the new APC members.
Earlier, Isiaka explained that Abiodun-led government had prioritised social welfarism policy which was part of his agenda for contesting the last election.
The three – time governorship candidate described his defection alongside his numerous supporters as a “display of sacrifice, sincerity of purpose, value alignment and willingness to pursue the common good.”
“I assure you that in joining the APC today we bring value to the table. We are adding thousands of dedicated members, we are adding trusted ideas to governance process, we are bringing intellectual competencies that can be useful in diverse areas, we are bringing our abiding values of handwork, integrity and shared prosperity, and we are moving our tested and timeless electoral value to this party.
“All our members have been sufficiently sensitized on their roles and responsibility as party members as they will from this week move into the APC ward meetings and conduct themselves creditably. I urge all members of the party to welcome our people across the State (among which few numbers were accredited as delegates to this ground today) with open arms and work together for the growth of this party and success of the government”, Isiaka popularly called GNI, said.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
