Thousands of PDP members decamp to APC in Kwara; accept the leadership of Saraki
24-03-2018
No fewer than 3,000 members from the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decamped to the ruling All progressives Congress(APC) in Oke Ero local government area of Kwara State.
Leading the thousands of members of the PDP to the APC across the ten electoral wards of the council area, a former chairmanship candidate in the last local government election and prominent member of the PDP in Oke-Ero, Mr Wale Asonibare a.k.a STONE, stated that he, and other defectors resolved to leave the PDP to join the ruling APC, as a result of good leadership demonstrated so far by the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
The defectors who moved in thousands along the major roads of Iloffa, the headquarters of the local government with victory songs, before they later assembled at Jamaat Primary School, Iloffa for their integration into the ruling party, APC.
Welcoming the decampees to the APC on behalf of the Nigerian Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Jimoh Balogun, the APC Kwara South Senatorial Chairman, congratulated Mr Wale Asonibare and others for seeing the light and making the right decision at the right time.
The Kwara South Senatorial Chairman who stated that, the effort of the Kwara South Senator, Dr Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim cannot be overemphasized in making the defection move a reality. “Only a fool who doesn’t know what politics means would join the opposition in Kwara, as any political mission in Kwara without Saraki is a mission to nowhere and that will amount to an exercise in futility,” he said.
Alhaji Balogun who said that Wale Asonibare and other defectors moved out of deceit of the PDP, describing the party as moribund and noted that the achievements of APC government of Kwara State and the leadership template provided by Dr Saraki have silent the opposition permanently. He therefore, urged other politicians that remained in PDP to park their things and join the progressive ruling party for the betterment of the state and her citizens.
Responding, Mr Wale Asonibare disclosed that the need for him and his supporters to leave the PDP was necessitated by the lack of focus, vision and internal democracy within the party PDP, which he described as ‘dead and dry bone’.
Earlier, the party leaders and stakeholders of the ruling party in the Council area; APC Chairman in Oke-Ero LGA, Chief Joseph Adeniyi; the Executive Chairman of Oke-Ero LGA, Hon. Bayo Oni; Member representing Oke-Ero constituency at the Kwara State House of Assembly; former KWHA member, Dr Abraham Ashaolu; a former Commissioner in the state, Barr. Kayode Towoju, and the immediate past Commissioner for Energy, Hon. Muideen Alalade, while receiving the decampees at the ‘political turned jamboree’ programme held at the Jamaat primary school, Iloffa playing ground, they all noted that the event was remarkable for the APC members and loyalists in the local government area and Kwara State in general. Promising the new members that their interest would be jealously protected and they would not regret their coming to the ruling APC. They commended the bravery of Mr Wale Asonibare for his political bravery and dogged spirit.
They unanimously saluted the courage of the decampees to take the bull by the horn in dumping their former party to join the progressive party for building a new direction for themselves, urging the new and old members to work as a team for the success of the party in the future elections.
Other APC leaders who received the decampees were; Former Special Adviser to the Governor of Kwara State, Prince Deji Oni, Alhaji Yusuf Olaniyi (Honeymoon) and Hon. Mrs Margret Abegunde, Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President among others.
