Over 1,000 members of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP )from Ogun East Senatorial district have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC ).
The 1000 members of PDP who decamped to APC were said to be loyal members of Senator Buruji Kashamu, PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 elections.
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Newsmen reports that Otunba Kolawole Akinyemi, who is the leader of the decampees, explained that the reason for their decision was based on their will to support the Governor Dapo Abiodun led administration, which has scored a record of profound achievements since he entered office.
Egbetokun, representing the governor, welcomed the decampees and assured them of fairness and equity. He also stated that the time of joining the office will not jeopardise their rights to benefits from party, as the Dapo Abiodun administration is set to fomulate new policies that would benefit all members.
He said,
“our party is open to all, even members of other parties. You have come at the right time. In our party, we do not discriminate as we give due recognition to all members irrespective of how long they have been members or their social standing”.
He charged the new members to bring in more people into the party, he, however, stressed that the administration would not stifle oppositions, as “competition becomes sweeter when there are opponents”.
In reaction to the decamped members, reports also states that Senator Buruji Kashamu, an immediate past senator, severed ties with the PDP defectors, stating that their action is rid of his blessings.
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In a statement released by his Media Adviser, Austin Oniyokor, quoted Senator Kashamu, saying;
“I do not have any problem with any one or a group of people exercising their rights to freedom of association but such must be done responsibly and not with elements of lies, blackmail and outright subterfuge.
“Kola Akinyemi and his co-travellers should desist from dropping my name in their political prostitution and voyage of anywhere ‘belle face’. I dissociate myself and my genuine followers from this group of desperados. Their movement to the APC in Ogun State does not have my blessings.”
The senator further clarified his stand, saying that while he supports the governor who is a member of the APC, it does not amount to mean that he has defected to APC and people should desiat from making such inference.
“It is true that politics is dynamic. If there is going to be any political alignment or movement in the future, it is going to be a collective decision with the buy-in of all stakeholders. And it will be done openly, not in the less than the honourable manner that these characters have done theirs.”