By Yinka Kolawole Osogbo
Three members of the Osun State House Assembly elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday defecting to the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
The lawmakers — Hon. Debo Akanbi, representing Ede north, Hon. Tajudeen Famuyide representing Ilesha West and Hon Abdullahi Ibrahim representing Iwo State Constitutuency — all claimed that APC had been hijacked by people hell-bent on foisting an unpopular candidate on the majority.
Leading the defectors, who were received by Prof. Adeolu Durotoye, the running mate to the ADP governorship candidate, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Akanbi said that APC has outlived its usefulness.
Akanbi said: “I am a second term lawmaker from Ede. We brought APC and we shall send the party out of Osun. All those people we brought into APC, I have contacted them and they have all promised to support Adeoti.
“Aregbesola had an understanding with us to spend just eight years and support another Osun-based politician to succeed him. He wants to install another Lagos man. We won’t allow that.
“Agitation for West senatorial to produce governor is now a movement. More members of Osun Assembly will dump APC and join Adeoti in ADP.”
Also speaking, Famuyide said some people believe they own APC, urging people of the state to resist the impunity of the ruling party.
“ADP is the real progressives. The reactionaries have taken over our former party, APC. Let’s go out to educate voters about our new party, the ADP,” Famuyide said.
Commenting on the defection, a chieftain of ADP from Gbongan, Mr. Dotun Babayemi, said the same zeal used by members to make APC strong would be used to make ADP victorious in the September 22 poll.
He urged all members of ADP to embark on aggressive members’ drive to bring into the party more members, stressing the need for all stakeholders to ensure Osun was rescued from people that plan to annex it to another state.
While Akanbi was addressing the supporters and members of ADP, he said: “We know the foundation of All Progressives Congress in the state and we agreed with Governor Aregbesola to spend eight years in power not that when he’s leaving he will anoint a candidate over the party’s structure.
“We kick against nepotism in the party and many more supporters of APC are still coming to ensure the victory of Moshood Adeoti come September 22.”
