Osun PDP describes defectors as liabilities, virus

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has said that it is not bothered about the gale of defections rocking the party.It said that those leaving the party were paperweight politicians who don’t have value.

Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Jacob Areola, who spoke on the rising exit of PDP members, yesterday, during a radio programme monitored by The Guardian in Osogbo, described those who left the party as paperweight politicians, adding that the party is happy to lose them. He refuted the claim that the defection had depleted the party, saying that there was no crisis in the ruling party.

“Osun PDP as of today enjoys a relative peace and there is total cohesion. The centre is holding. We don’t have any problem,” he stated. According to him, the party is gaining other members, especially in Irewole Local Council of the state, stressing that those who left are “liabilities and only bigwigs in names but in actions, they are paperweight.”

Also reacting, the immediate past Chairman of PDP in the state, Akindele Adekunle, said that Babalola’s exit from the party was a good omen for the party rather than a loss.

In a statement, yesterday, Akindele described the constant anti-party activities of Babalola as obvious but he decided to tolerate it to achieve the desired goals.

He also referred to him as a political lightweight who has no genuine political followership that can disrupt the party’s chances at the poll. Akindele further described Babalola as a political virus that would have corrupted loyal members of the party if he was not cut off.

“Based on his antecedent, I have known for long in the buildup to last general election and gubernatorial election that he was not working for the party but I had to tolerate him throughout my stay in the office.”

“He pointedly and obviously worked against our candidate then, Dr Lere Oyewumi, which was a glaring case of anti-party but I choose to look away because he was a political lightweight that has no follower and couldn’t have caused any damage at the poll for our candidates.

“Thank God he has once again demonstrated that and let me congratulate members of our party, from the ward, local council, federal constituencies, senatorial districts and the state at large that a political parasite has finally left the party.

“I wish to add that the party is not diminished in any way, rather, the political virus that would have corrupted other loyal party members have been dealt a devastating blow,” he said.