The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has described the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as an empty shell and sinking ship experiencing gales of defection.
Abiodun stated this on Wednesday, while receiving members of the party into the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
The members who defected include the former deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023 governorship elections, Adekunle Akinlade, popularly known as triple A, former state chairman of the party, Sikirulai Ogundele, and a member representing Abeokuta South State Constituency 1 on the platform of PDP, Luqmon Atobatele.
Others include a former member of the House of Assembly, Idowu Olowofuja, a former chairman of the Ogun State Local Government Service Commission, Rotimi Rahaman; Mojeed Ekelojumati and thousands of their supporters who also defected.
Governor Abiodun, while welcoming the defectors, assured them of full acceptance back into the fold of the party and expressed joy that they left “the sinking ship to join the progressive team of the APC”.
He said, “PDP nationwide has become an empty shell. As a matter of fact, they have been referred to as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). They are looking for IDP camps. They went to SDP, they were not accommodated, ditto to the ADC. They are still displaced.
“I want to assure you that we will accord you (new APC members) the rights, privileges, and respect that indeed you deserve. Today, our brothers have come back home, and we are happy and rejoicing in it. We are happy to receive them back into the fold.
“The chairman of the party, a former House of Representatives member, former governorship candidate who came second in an election where I contested, former deputy governorship candidate, a serving member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Deputy Minority Leader, a former council chairman, former commissioner, former ALGON chairman, the list is endless. We are all here today happily receiving them”.
In his remarks, Akinlade noted that their movement has not left anyone behind on their way to join the progressives in the state, acknowledging Governor Abiodun for accepting them and for also treating them with dignity.
“Today, we are not decamping; this is a movement. We have moved en masse back home; we have left nobody behind because we believe in the leadership of our governor and the leadership of our party, both at the state and national levels,” he said.
The former PDP chairman, Sikirulai Ogundele, said they have thought through their decision to join the APC after seeing the great works of Governor Abiodun in the state and that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the country.
“What we are doing here today is a testimony; it is also history. I want to re-echo it: the most responsible PDP members of Ogun State from the 236 wards have moved en masse,” he added.
