Ondo 2016: APC loses Exco, 1,493 others to PDP

Ahead of the November 2016 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, more members of the opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), have moved enmasse to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The defection, which came barely a week after the state’s Director General of the Buhari Campaign organization in the 2015 presidential election, Idowu led over 2,000 members of the APC to the PDP in Akure South council, this also took place in Idanre LGA yesterday. Over 1,500 APC members defected to the PDP in Idanre and Bidemi Oladapo-Akinde, APC Youth Leader, Michael Olafisoye, PRO, and Duyilemi Samuel, Assistant Welfare Officer led the defectors.

Earlier, a popular member of the party in Idanre, Kunle Adebayo, led about 2000 of the party members from Jibokin Ward to the PDP, preceding the mass defection, which took place yesterday at Apefon in Idanre. The defectors claimed they made up their minds to quit the APC after much appraisal of the political value of the party’s flag-bearer in the coming election, Rotimi Akeredolu as against Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP.

According to Duyilemi, who spoke on behalf of the decampees, the major opposition party in the state has become unpopular and irrelevant, especially with the agonising effects of the crumbling economy nationwide. The Chief of Staff, Dr. Kola Ademujimi, who represented Governor Olusegun Mimiko, received the defectors into the party.

Ademujimi said the waves of defection hitting the party in recent times was a testament to the fact that the people are tired of the ruling national party. Akinmade and Ademujimi alleged that the APC have perfected plans to privatize the Mother and Child hospitals, Mega Schools and the Free Bus Shuttle programme if elected to power.