Ahead of the November 16th governorship election in Ondo State, the rank and file of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State was depleted yesterday following the defection of the hundreds of members to the major opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Those that defected disclosed that they decided to team up with the PDP because they were driven away from the APC by hunger.
The chieftains and members of APC who defected to PDP are from different wards in Akure South Local Government Area of the state.
Among them are; Mayowa Ajemoju Boboye, APC Ward 8 leader, Deborah Owosusi, Ademola Ajonijebu, and Oloro Alejo among others.
They explained that they were neglected despite their contributions to the victory of APC in the general elections and the second term election of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu inherited by the incumbent governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Some members of the Ebira community, led by Azeez Ibrahim, also declared their support for the PDP standard bearer ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial poll in the state.
On behalf of the party faithful that decamped, APC Organising Secretary in Akure South Akinwande Fayinminu blamed the APC leadership for the deceit within the party, which he said undermined members’ development.
Fayinminu said, “The APC lacks internal democracy, that is why they are factionalised. Since they came to power, they have not integrated many members of the party.’’
Speaking with newsmen at the event, one of the leaders of the groups that defected to PDP, Boboye, an APC chieftain in Akure South, emphasised that APC had brought more hunger and hardship to people of the state.
He said, “There is more hunger in the land, and they have failed to attend to this. The party’s popularity in the state is waning gradually, and we have to look back and return home to join forces with the PDP to rebuild the state.”
Receiving them into the PDP, the party’s governor candidate, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, who was flanked by the Acting Chairman of PDP, Bashorun Tola Alabere and other chieftains of the party, stated that there is a lot of suffering, hunger and anger in the land due to maladministration of APC- led government in Ondo State.
Therefore, he assured the people of the state that he would reposition the state if he were elected governor in the November 16, 2024, gubernatorial poll.
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