By Julius Alabi, Akure
The People Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State Chapter, has suffered another set back as no fewer than 1,000 of its members, including an ex- Assembly member and chieftain of the party in Akoko North-West Constituency 1, Hon. Yinka Banso, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the state
The defectors hinged their defection on the lack of internal democracy in the party and lack of transparency in the state PDP as part of the reasons for dumping the party.
Among notable party members that defected were Hon Yusuf Lateef , Hon. Akinwande Peter, Hon Ojo Alaba, and Hon. Ojo Akinwande among others.
Gracing the event were Engineer Ade Adetimehin, APC State Chairman, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Chairman House Committee on NDDC and honorable member representing Akoko North East/West Federal Constituency, Evangelist Olumuyiwa Asagunla, the Odofin Ogbooye of Afa Okeagbe, Hon. Toyin Japhet, Akoko North East APC House of Assembly Candidate, Hon. Kehinde Obanla, Akoko North West APC Chairman, Hon Pillar, Elder Ayodele Akande among other important personalities.
Speaking at the event, Hon Yinka Banso who led the PDP members to APC said they have decided to join the Progressives APC and work for the success of the party in the coming election.
Banso lamented that that despite their efforts at building PDP in Nigeria, they couldn’t win the Presidential race in Nigeria till date.
According to him, “we have come to announce the death of PDP in Akoko North West and Ondo State at large, by the time we start working for APC, there will be nothing left for the opposition party and our coming is a major boost to the House of Assembly candidate in our constituency. We join you because you’re a performers and we will never disappoint you.”
While thanking leaders of APC in the state for accepting them into their fold, “We are assuring you that more PDP loyalists would soon join the APC in batches,” Banso said.
In his address, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who has just been reelected to represent the good people of Akoko North East/West Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives expressed his profound gratitude to the good people of the Constituency for voting for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President, Pastor Jide Ipinsagba as the Senator, Ondo North Senatorial district and his humble self in the last election.
He said since the APC controls the Federal and State Level, it is imperative to vote for the Candidates of APC in the forthcoming House of Assembly election.
Tunji-Ojo pointed out that the party has been receiving bigwigs from the opposition parties, commending them for leaving the ship before it finally sink.
The APC State Chairman, Engineer Ade Adetimehin while receiving the decampees on behalf of the APC national Chairman and the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, commended the former opposition party members for making the right choice by joining the winning party.
Adetimehin maintained that the APC is very big to accommodate as many people as possible, urging the decampees not to feel like strangers but to work for the success of the party at the forthcoming House of Assembly Election.