Amidst a gale of defections and cross-carpets from different political parties into the All Progressives Congress (APC), a two-term governorship candidate in Ogun state, Rotimi Paseda, has begun political moves to collapse the entire political structure of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) into the APC ahead of 2023 general elections.
Recall that Paseda was part of politicians who resuscitated Unity Party of Nigeria that was established in 1979 by the late Premier of Western Region, Obafemi Awolowo and contested on its platform for governorship election in Ogun state in 2015, before he left the party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) before the 2019 governorship election.
It will also be recalled that Paseda has recently defected to APC having been requested by his followers to lead them to the party for which he picked up the APC Registration form and was officially welcomed and registered by Idowu Osunkoya, APC Ward Chairman at Ward 14, St. Paul Polling Unit 3, Itale, Omu-Ijebu in the Odogbolu local government area of Ogun state.
Paseda, according to a press statement signed and issued in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital on Friday by Adekunle Adejumo, his media aide, indicated that the governorship candidate in Ogun state between 2015 and 2019 decided to collapse UPN political structure into APC, having met and agreed to work with former governor and senator, representing Ogun central senatorial district, Ibikunle Amosun and APC in 2023.
The press statement made available to BDSUNDAY indicated that Paseda, through the National Secretary of UPN, Abubarka Abdulahi Sokoto had instructed all UPN members and polotucal structures in all the 36 states to start aligning with APC with immediate effect for an all-inclusive support and teamwork with the ruling party ahead of 2023 general elections.
The press statement added that Paseda’s political group had started aligning with the political structure of the former governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun, both locally and at the national level in order to become more actively involved in the turn of things within Ogun APC.
“Paseda has built a massive UPN structure nationwide prior to 2015 general elections and has loyal party members in the 36 states, which were also used to hijack the SDP governorship ticket in 2019 to contest for governorship in Ogun state and now working with Ibikunle Amosun’s caucus in APC”, the statement read.
Paseda was however quoted that the philosophies of APC align with his own and that of late Obafemi Awolowo, just as he promised to work with the party at all levels.
