The political landscape of Ogun State witnessed a major shift on Wednesday as several high-ranking members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), prompting Governor Dapo Abiodun to describe the opposition party as “an empty shell and a sinking ship.”
The decampees include prominent figures such as the PDP’s 2023 deputy governorship candidate, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade (popularly known as Triple A), former PDP State Chairman, Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele, and a sitting lawmaker in the Ogun State House of Assembly representing Abeokuta South State Constituency I, Hon. Luqmon Atobatele.
Other notable figures who defected include former Ogun State House of Assembly member, Hon. Idowu Olowofuja; ex-Chairman of the Ogun State Local Government Service Commission, Rotimi Rahaman; Mojeed Ekelojumati; and thousands of their loyal supporters across the 236 wards in the state.
Governor Abiodun, who received the defectors at the APC secretariat in Abeokuta, welcomed them warmly, assuring them of equal rights, privileges, and full integration into the party structure.
“We are happy to receive our brothers and sisters back home. Today marks a historic return of seasoned politicians and party men who have found their way back to the progressive fold,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the opposition, the governor said, “The PDP, both in Ogun State and nationally, has become an empty shell. They are like internally displaced politicians—seeking refuge in multiple platforms like the SDP and ADC without success. We welcome them with open arms, not as strangers, but as valuable stakeholders in our shared vision for the state.”
Akinlade, who previously ran against Abiodun in the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections, declared the defection a coordinated movement rather than a mere decamping.
“This is not just defection—it is a movement. We have moved en masse, leaving no one behind, because we believe in the leadership of Governor Abiodun and the APC, both at the state and federal levels,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Ogundele emphasized that the decision to join the APC was a result of careful consideration and admiration for the developmental strides of both Governor Abiodun and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This is a defining moment. The most responsible members of the PDP across the 236 wards of Ogun State are here today, united and purposeful. What we are witnessing is not only political but historical,” he said.
The defection comes amid growing political realignments in the state and signals a significant blow to the PDP’s structure ahead of future elections.
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