The Minister For Interior, Bunmi Ojo and his party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC), recorded great losses ahead of the Ondo state scheduled gubernatorial election on Tuesday, as thousands of members of the party across the 10 wards of Akoko North West LG, including that of the Minister, defected massively,to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The decampees include Hon. Omojola, the immediate past Councilor of Arigidi Ile ward, who led hundreds of members to the PDP from the APC.
Lamenting the failure of the APC to deliver on its campaign promises, thus making members subjects of ridicule in the state, Mr Danladi Abu who spoke on behalf of the decampees from Ward 2 likened the APC to “a secret cult that treats members unfairly”.
Registering his optimism of a PDP victory in the November election, Danladi said the mass defection excercise is a significant setback for the APC in the state, ahead of the forthcoming elections.
He thus implored members of the PDP to “let us leverage on this momentum to bolster our chances at the polls”
Thousands present at the crossover ceremony were treated to good music amidst dancing and wild jubilation, underscoring the enthusiasm and excitement among the defectors and their new party leadership.
One of the decampees, Tayo Onifade, said the crossover ceremony ” marks the end of the APC in the 10 Wards where we decamped from.
“You can see that we have all left the APC, could you have imagined that APC members from the Ward of a serving minister could abandon the party the way we did today and the cross over ceremony being held here in his ward peacefully
” This place we are right now, where this event is taking place, is the Ward of the Minister for Interior, Bunmi Ojo. Unfortunately, he will return to meet an empty Ward”. Onifade opined.
Some of the APC leaders who led their members to PDP includes Babatunde Ijaya, Yaya Saka, Olori Adedeji, Hon Omolola ( Former APC Counselor in the Local Government) Ade Adewebi and Hassan Helen among others .
Many leaders of the PDP were present at the event to welcome the defectors to the opposition party, which leaders of the defecting members described as the state’s new bride.
Some of the PDP leaders on hand to welcome the new arrivals include His Excellency, Hon. Alfred Agboola Ajayi, the candidate of the PDP, Hon. Faboyede, the Director-General of the PDP Campaign Council, and Rt Hon. Bakita Bello, the acting PDP chairman in Ondo State.
Other notable PDP leaders who graced the occasion are the State Secretary, Hon. Oluseye Olujimi, ( PDP State Secretary ) , Hon. Afe Felix ( Member , representing the Constituency in the State House of Assembly ), Hon. Lekan Bada, Hon. Rasheed Elegbeleye, PDP Local Government Chairman, Hon Usman Jamiu and Dr. Bode Iwaloye among others .
