A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Joseph Tegbe, an engineer, has explained why he defected from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Meanwhile, a former Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy to the late governor Abiola Ajimobi, Bolaji Tunji, yesterday, said Tegbe’s defection to the PDP was a clarion call on the leadership of the party to quickly intervene in the crisis in the state chapter to avoid further exit of other prominent members.
Tegbe, who was a top contender for the governorship ticket in 2018, said he left the party that brought him to limelight due to the crisis in state chapter.
He accused the national leadership of the party of supporting the minority to hijack the party’s structure contrary to the desire of the majority.
In a statement he personally signed and addressed to Oyo APC members, Tegbe said: “Good people of Oyo State, many years ago, I made a commitment to always contribute to the development of our society in whatever God-given capacity. In 2018, after serving government in different non-political capacities, I offered to serve Oyo State as governor on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC). This decision was based on my commitment to offering my wealth of experience to the entrenchment of good governance and development in our dear state.
“Though I was a frontrunner in the 2018 campaign, I agreed to step down as a team player and continued to make my contribution to the party. Unfortunately, the recent developments in Oyo APC have become worrisome. We watched a minority hijack the party structure, backed by some powers at the top.
We saw congress results, democratically agreed at Ward and Local Government levels being altered to favour this minority group. Efforts to make the national leadership of the party see reasons have yielded no fruits. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
“After careful consideration and deliberation with my support groups, I have resigned my membership of the APC. Thank you for your understanding.”
Worried by the development, Tunji, who is aspiring for the House of Representatives seat on the platform of the APC in Ogbomoso North, South and Oriire Federal constituency, said the defection of Tegbe has shown that if nothing were done, the APC would witness further exit of disgruntled members.
His words: “Clearly, if nothing is done quickly, the Oyo APC would clearly see further exit from the party. Many are dissatisfied with the present scenario, believing that the national leadership, especially the previous Caretaker Executive was complicit in the crisis in Oyo APC and other state chapters of the party.”
While urging the newly inaugurated National Working Committee (NWC) to quickly intervene to resolve the crisis, he enjoined all the different groups in the state APC to be ready to shift grounds to accommodate each other.
“Inability to resolve this problem will keep the APC in continued opposition in Oyo State. It will also further weaken the party as others may decide to pitch their camps elsewhere. It is thus important to quickly find a solution to the present crisis,” he added.
The Reps hopeful said due to the crisis in the state chapter, the APC has been unable to effectively play its role as opposition party in the state.
