The camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State swelled on Friday when about 250 stalwarts and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord Party formally joined the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors, who were received by the leadership of the party, led by the State Chairman and former Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, said they found the APC a haven where their livelihood and aspirations could be met.
The event was held at Watershed Event Centre, Old Ife Road, Ibadan.
Alake, in his address, assured the defectors of proper reintegration into the fold of the party, stressing that the new members would not be discriminated against, while assuring them of equal representation.
According to him, “The people of Oyo State are tired of maladministration of the APM, hence the desire for a change. APC remains the only party that can produce the required change in 2027. You have made the right decision. I am assuring you that you will not regret your action”, Adeyemo told the defectors.
Speaking in the same vein, the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, assured the people of good governance when voted into office as the Executive Governor of Oyo State in 2027.
He said his administration would address all the inadequacies in all the sectors of the economy, stressing that “Our government will revamp education, health and other sectors of the economy. We are going to rejig the security architecture to bring an end to the reported cases of kidnapping, banditry and other vices in the past seven and a half years.
“There will also be a civil service reform with the training and retraining of workers. Immediately, I assume office, all 33 local government councils will become active, with full autonomy granted to them to perform as the closest arm of government to the grassroots. Local government autonomy will be the topmost priority of our administration.
“Also, our administration will revisit the issue of Circular Road that has left thousands of people homeless. We are going to give back any land inappropriately acquired by the government. Our government will not allow any citizen to suffer unjustly”, Alli promised.
In his address, Hon. Olamiposi Ojo of ‘Bibire Forum’, who led other defectors from ACCORD to the APC, described APC as the only party with genuine internal democracy. He said, “Our decision is based on the leadership quality of President Bola Tinubu and the way he has been able to transform the Country. That is why we move to the APC”.
Similarly, Hon. Taoheed Ademola Lucky, who led other members and decamped from the PDP, described their decision as a homecoming.
He assured that his teeming followers would work for the success of the party at both the state and federal levels.
Present at the event were many other stalwarts of the APC, including the deputy governorship candidate Adesoji Adedeji; Hon. Sina Alabi, Hon. Gbade Lana (Son of the late Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odugade Lana), Hon. Yemi Aderibigbe (Director-General of the Campaign Council for the Sarafadeen Alli governorship race), and a host of others.
