Three months to the governorship election in Ondo State, no fewer than 12,000 members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state have announced their defection to the Peoples Democratic Party.
This came a few days after 29 aides and associates of a former governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, announced their defection from the PDP to the ruling party.
Welcoming the defectors in Ondo town, Ondo State on Monday, the candidate of the PDP in the November 16 governorship poll, Mr Agboola Ajayi, urged leaders and members of the PDP to cooperate and work with the new members to ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming poll.
He said, “While I’m welcoming the members, I want to implore our leaders, particularly in Ondo West Local Government, to embrace these people and work with them for our success on November 16. We should all work together and ensure PDP carry the day on November 16.
“I am using this opportunity to tell the people of Ondo State that I am ready to serve them if given the needed support in the November election. I know where the shoe pinches our people. I have been a former chairman, former House of Representatives member and a former deputy governor in the state.
“I have the experience, I have all the needed requirements to pilot the affairs of Ondo State to a pleasant destination. So, I want us to be united and work to achieve victory in the November 16 election.”
Speaking, one of the leaders of the defectors and former APC senatorial aspirant, Mr Adeniran Oyebade, expressed his willingness to work for the PDP and support Ajayi to be the next governor of the state, saying he and other 12,000 members in the Ondo West Local Government were ready to work for the PDP.
He said they left the APC because the ruling party allegedly had no plan for the development of the state.
“I spent over nine years in the APC, including paying a huge sum of N20million for party form among other contributions to the party at the local government, state and federal levels but no dime or single reward was given in return.
“As we are now, I and other 12,000 of my supporters, we have begun the rescue journey with the PDP and Agboola Ajayi to salvage Ondo State from the hands of oppressors and corrupt leaders,” Oyebade declared.