The political landscape in Oyo State witnessed a major realignment on Friday as a wave of defections hit the camps of the governing Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord, with a candidate, an aspirant and thousands of their supporters crossing over to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP candidate for Ibadan North East II State Constituency, Hon. Hammed Taoreed Ademola, abandoned his party’s ticket and led about 1,000 supporters into the APC, while a staunch loyalist of Governor Seyi Makinde in Oluyole Local Government Area, Hon. Mustapha Kazeem, popularly known as “Oba Oluyole,” also dumped the APM and joined the APC with more than 1,000 supporters.

Similarly, an Accord aspirant from Ibadan North East II, Hon. Adedapo Ojo, crossed over to the APC alongside hundreds of his supporters, with the defectors declaring their confidence that the APC would form the next government in Oyo State.

The first defection ceremony, held at a private facility on Old Ife Road, Ibadan, attracted several prominent APC stakeholders, including the state chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli; his running mate, Adesoji Adedeji; and the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, among others.

Speaking at the event, Ademola, popularly known as “Lucky,” said his decision to abandon the PDP ticket was informed by what he described as the political reality on the ground.

“I did my due diligence and came to realise that any ticket apart from the APC ticket is a mere tissue paper which cannot take a candidate anywhere in 2027.

“We are here in our hundreds to formally join the APC, and we promise to do our best in the interest of the progressive party and our dear country, Nigeria,” he said.

In his remarks, Ojo, otherwise known as “Bibire,” described Accord as a distraction, urging voters to keep faith with the APC.

“We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC is far ahead of the other parties.

“Without wanting to waste our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise, we decided to pitch our tent with the APC, and here we are today,” he said.

Addressing the new members, Adeyemo assured them of full integration into the APC and equal opportunities with existing members.

He urged them to immediately begin mobilising for the victory of all APC candidates in the 2027 general election, which he described as another opportunity for Nigerians to consolidate the gains of democratic governance.

Also speaking, Alli outlined aspects of his programme for Oyo State and pledged to run an inclusive administration that would treat all zones of the state fairly if elected governor in 2027.

“It is a thing of joy that reasonable individuals are abandoning their parties to join the APC at a time like this. The hope is getting brighter every day, and it is now important for us to get more prepared because Oyo State deserves the best from May 2027.

“We have been saying that we will run an all-inclusive government which every indigene and resident of the state will be proud of. Workers and pensioners will get their salaries and allowances regularly, and we will work towards ensuring that their earnings support a decent standard of living.

“The work environment will be conducive for all workers, including civil servants and teachers, while there will be training and retraining to improve their productivity.

“Within our first six months in office, a standard ICT hub will be established in Ibadan, and this will be replicated in Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ibadan before January 2029.

“We will ensure that no zone is left out in the distribution of infrastructure and basic amenities. Each of the 33 local government areas will have a general hospital that is well staffed and equipped to cater for the basic medical needs of our people,” Alli said.

In a separate mass defection in Oluyole Local Government Area, more than 1,000 APM members announced the end of their political association with Governor Makinde and formally joined the APC.

The defectors, led by Mustapha Kazeem, popularly known as Oba Oluyole, were received at the APC secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, by the state chairman, Adeyemo, alongside other members of the State Executive Committee.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Kazeem criticised Makinde’s handling of political relationships and accused the governor of failing to adequately reward loyalty and sacrifice.

He said the group had consequently resolved to seek a new political platform in the APC.

“Governor Makinde is not the best person to work with in any political struggle because he does not appreciate loyalty, good human relations and sacrifice, despite being a beneficiary of a collective struggle.

“The few people who get empowered by the governor are even worse, as the one in Oluyole Local Government Area victimised most of us for more than seven years.

“It came to a point where we could no longer pretend, and this made us see the light in the progressive fold. It is an established fact that the APC is the only political party that is worth its name.

“APM is Governor Makinde’s private estate, and we cannot be part of it again. To this end, we are no longer interested in the deceit and propaganda which gave Makinde an unmerited mandate to rule us. We say enough is enough,” he added.

APC chairman in Oluyole Local Government Area, Dotun Oladipupo, formally presented the defectors to Adeyemo, who handed them brooms—the APC’s symbol—to signify their admission into the party.

Adeyemo urged the new members to put their previous political differences behind them and commit themselves to the APC’s programmes and electoral activities.

Other party leaders at the event included the APC State Secretary, Hon. Fatai Adesina; State Financial Secretary, Hon. Tunde Elegbede; Dr. Felicia Opatunde; Olawale Sadare; Olalekan Oladejo; Alhaji Lateef Akinsanya; APC candidate for Oluyole Federal Constituency, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe; and the party’s candidate for Oluyole State Constituency, Hon. Hakeem Lawal, among others. (Arise News)

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