PDP members defect to APC in Ondo

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State on Tuesday defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The former PDP members, most of whom are drawn from the state branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, said they were tired of their old party and ready to work for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Receiving the defectors at the APC secretariat in Akure, the state capital, the state chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin, welcomed them and urged them to return to their wards and begin to work for the President’s re-election.

Adetimehin said the ruling party had no opposition in the state, adding that the performance of President Tinubu in the state had been attracting more people to the APC.

He said, “I want to welcome you to our great party; this is the party of victory. In APC, we don’t discriminate. There are no old members; there are no new members. We are all equal; that is why we are winning every day.

“Also, I want you to go back to your respective wards and local governments to work. It is your capacity in the party that will determine your reward in the APC. We give everyone equal opportunities. You are welcome.

“President Tinubu has done well for us in this state. We can all see what he is doing. His Renewed Hope initiatives are favouring us. Our people are being given appointments, and work has begun on the construction of new roads in Ondo State, so we must work hard to give him a landslide victory here.”

The leader of the defectors, under the auspices of the Asiwaju Transport Movement, Mr Ojo Adewole, said their defection was informed by the performance of President Tinubu in the state, particularly in road rehabilitation and construction.

Adewole said the defection of over 1,000 members from the 18 local government areas was inspired by the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, whom he described as a true leader.

He said, “Why did we defect? We were encouraged to join the APC by our minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. We thank him for the opportunity given to us, and we will not disappoint him or the party.

“What we saw is that the road projects started by the immediate past administration of the late Muhammadu Buhari, which we thought would be abandoned, have continued under President Bola Tinubu.

“We are NURTW members; we know the importance of good roads. This is part of what President Bola Tinubu is doing in this state. The dualisation of the Benin–Ilesa Expressway, the Ore–Ondo–Akure road expansion, the Akure–Ado Ekiti Expressway and others. Also, the coastal highway is ongoing.

“We are delighted with all these. These are part of the reasons we joined to support President Tinubu for a second term. We are over 1,000 across the 18 local government areas of the state.”

It was earlier reported that the only PDP member from the state in the National Assembly, Mr Festus Akingbaso, and the three remaining members of the party in the state House of Assembly recently defected to the APC, leaving the state as a one-party state.