Ondo Guber: More Mimiko’s allies dump PDP for APC

With about eight weeks to the off-cycle November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, more allies and associates of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The defectors were received into the APC rank on Wednesday at the party’s secretariat in Akure, the state capital, a few weeks after 29 associates of the former governor joined the APC fold.

While welcoming the defectors to APC, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa disclosed that the defection of the former governor’s allies had already sealed the victory for the party.

According to Aiyedatiwa, APC now has “all the major players of the Adefarati era, all the major players of the Agagu era, and now all the key players of the Mimiko era in one party, all in the bid to move Ondo State forward on all fronts.

Leading the new members into the APC, two-term members of the House of Representatives and former Labour leader, Joseph Akinlaja Joseph, Lad Alaba Ojomo, Jumoke Akindele, Victor Akinjo, and Gboluga Ikengboju, among others, said they have since moved around the state to enlist their friends, colleagues, and followers to solidify their commitment to the cause of the APC, the state, and Nigeria.

Akinlaja said, “We have said it before, but it needs to be restated that we are joining the APC mostly from the PDP to contribute our own quota to the seamless victory of His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, and the APC in the forthcoming election.

“Also, we are in APC to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to contribute to the solution of the myriad challenges facing our dear country rather than remain in an unserious structure that is neither desirous of nor prepared for victory.

“We have a comprehensive list of over 5000 leaders at various levels, including chairmen of LGAs, ward chairmen, and community leaders, all of the PDP moving today into the APC.

“We are not stopping; we are also asking our colleagues to immediately move into their wards and units to join the existing APC structure for the seamless victory of the APC and its candidate, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.”

On his part, the state chairman of APC, Ade Adetimehin, said that the best materials in the PDP have joined the APC and stressed that “it was the beginning of good things to happen to the Ondo APC.”