Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State Monday suffered a major setback as nine out of sixteen state working committee members resigned their membership of the party to join Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the state.
The party officials in the letter of resignation jointly signed and made available to the chairman of the party, Gboyega Famodun, said that they took the decision after due consultations with their mentors, close political associates and public and lovers of the party.
They were led by the Deputy State Chairman of APC, Alhaji Azeez Issa Adesiji.
Other members include Alhaji Tajudeen Agbeti, Ex-officio; Prince Ademola Bamidele, State Auditor; Alhaji Rasheed Bakare, Assistant General Secretary; Akinola Morakinyo, State PRO; Wole Adunola, Ex-officio; Dr. Idayat Bakare, Assistant Welfare Secretary; Mrs. Ogundare Aina Afolabi, Assistant PRO; and Alhaji Sikiru Karim, Assistant Treasurer.
Declaring their membership for ADP at the party secretariat along Biket Area, Osogbo, Adesiji said that 580 local government executive members from across 25 local government councils of the state as well as 5,620 ward executives of the APC were defecting along with them.
He noted that they are defecting into ADP a new credible alternative party because of impunity and undemocratic practices being practised in their former party.
According to him, “among the 780 local executive in the APC in Osun State, 580 are now moving with me. Also, among the 8,632 ward executives of APC in the state, 5,620 are also joining the train to our new party ADP.”
Adesiji said nepotism, godfatherism, impunity of the highest order, unconcerned attitudes of the decision makers, and abandonment of party members at ward, local government and state levels made it so difficult for them to remain in APC.
“We also objected to the idea of Osun State being run as an offshoot of another state and the principle of fairness and even development in which the creation of Osun State was agitated has been abandoned by APC cabal in Osun State.
“With the aforementioned above reasons, myself and others here present and many more of our followers at home have chosen the path of honour by resigning our membership from APC and informing the good people of the state and country at large of our decision to move enmass into the vibrant and dynamic Action Democratic Party.
In the joint letter of resignation addressed to State Chairman of APC, Gboyega Famodun, Adediji said that they took the decision after due consultations with their mentors, close political associates and public and lovers of the party.
Receiving former members of ADP into the fold of the party, the State Chairman of ADP, Hon. Toye Ola Akinola, expressed happiness at the decision taken by the defectors and assured them of great benefit for their action.
He stressed that they had automatically become full bona-fide members of ADP with their action stressing that the party will work assiduously with their support and that of the people of the state to take over the state from APC.
While acknowledging that the defectors are men and women of high integrity and honour, Akinola said that the mass movement of APC into ADP is in phases adding that more members have indicated their interest to dump APC and join ADP.
He said that the party will soon embark on sensitization and enlightenment of residents of the state on the logo and other identity of the party to the people.
But when contacted, the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of APC, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, said if it is true that the defectors had actually dumped the party, the APC wished them.
He said that their defection could not stop APC from winning the September 22 governorship election in the state.
“It is minus to us but that minus can be ignored, Oyatomi said.
