- Do me, I do you politics rocks Ondo APC, PDP
The political terrain in Ondo State is undergoing profound changes as both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) grapple with significant defections.
Starnews NG reports that Key figures from both parties have switched allegiances, signalling a volatile atmosphere ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial elections.
The APC experienced a notable setback on Monday, August 12, 2024, in Ile-Oluji Ward 3 of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area, where a faction led by Mr. Opeke Moyo (Ojulari) moved to the PDP. This defection, involving the home ward of Hon. Nelson Akinsuroju, a current member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, highlights the gravity of the situation.
However, the PDP has also seen its share of losses. Despite gaining members from the APC, it has been hit by the defection of prominent leaders to the ruling party.
Figures like former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Segun Mimiko and Dr. Joseph Akinlaja, a former two-term House of Representatives member, have shifted allegiance to the APC, dealing a significant blow to the opposition’s strength.
This defection mirrors a similar exodus earlier this month in Ugbo Ward 5 of Ilaje Local Government, where APC members also abandoned the ruling party in favour of the PDP.
In Ese Odo Local Government, the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Agboola Ajayi, welcomed former APC members from Apoi Ward 4. This group, led by Mrs. Sipasi Inumidun, a serving woman leader of the APC, crossed over to the PDP.
The trend continued in Arogbo Ward 2 of the same local government, where prominent APC figures such as Prince Posi Namu Iromidayo and the APC Woman Leader, Wonikiribe Ikuenogbon, also defected to the opposition party.
In the Apoi community, the exodus was particularly motivated by support for Ajayi, a native of the area, ahead of the gubernatorial election scheduled for 16th November 2024.
The defectors from Apoi were led by Odofin Ayeyemi, Omotuyole Gbenga, and Tope Egbodofo, while those from Arogbo were led by Peacema Ojudor Jemine, Barrister Luke Mweko, and Mr. Jimoh.
The defections have not been limited to these areas. In Akoko North East, over 5,000 members of the APC and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have joined the PDP. Among them was Mr. Aliu Adeniyi Arikuyeri, the SDP candidate in the recent House of Assembly election, who led over 2,000 members to the PDP.
Similarly, over 3,000 APC members, led by Olafimihan Ipinsagba, Aminat Babatunde, and others, defected to the opposition party.
The Ondo North Senatorial District has also seen its share of defections. Hon. Stephen Olemija, a former House of Representatives member, recently left the APC for the PDP, adding to the ruling party’s woes.
In July 2024, the APC faced another blow as Comrade Olawale Ijanusi, a former Student Union President of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, defected to the PDP with a significant number of supporters.
The defection wave also reached Ikare, where some royal family members, including five women leaders led by Olori Muina Momoh, the wife of Olukare, shifted their allegiance to the PDP.
The defections have also affected Ose Local Government, where key figures such as former Council Chairman Agboola Ajike and the current serving Youth Leader of the APC in Ondo North Senatorial District, Obanla Oluwole, joined the PDP.
In Ondo Central, Otunba Oyebade Adeniran, the coordinator of the Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation for Ondo Central, led a faction of APC members in Ondo town to the PDP.
Despite these losses, the APC has managed to attract several prominent PDP leaders to its fold, Starnews NG can report.
Among them are former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Segun Mimiko, and Dr. Joseph Akinlaja, a former two-term House of Representatives member.
Other notable figures who have defected to the APC include Hon. Ebenezer Alabi, a former Ondo State Chairman of the PDP, and Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo, a former House of Representatives member and PDP gubernatorial aspirant.
Further complicating the political landscape, more PDP stalwarts have made their way to the APC, seeking a realignment of power in the state.
These include Bamidele Akingboye, a business mogul and former PDP gubernatorial aspirant, as well as Sola Ebiseni, a two-time commissioner in Ondo State and former gubernatorial contender.
Their departure from the PDP is considered as a strategic loss for the party, which has been struggling to retain its influential members amidst the political cross-currents.
The political tide has also shifted in Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, where Dr. Lad Ojomo, a two-term House of Representatives member, joined the growing list of defectors to the APC.
Similarly, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele, the former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, and a former House of Representatives Member, Hon Gboluga Ikengboju, dumped the PDP in a move that sent shockwaves through the party’s ranks.
In Akure, the capital of Ondo State, PDP Chieftain Dayo Awude, along with Engr Gboye Adegbenro, Engr Jide Adejuyigbe, and Barr Tunde Atere, shifted allegiance to the APC, further weakening the PDP’s grip on the region.
The political realignment continued with the defection of Yeyeoge Funmilola Oluwadare, Comrade Solomon Adelegan, and Comrade Femi Bosede, among others, who joined the APC.
The move by these influential figures underscores the deepening cracks within the PDP, as its traditional strongholds are increasingly eroded by the ruling party’s strategic recruitment.
Adding to the exodus, several prominent individuals, including Chief Yele Ogundipe, Comrade Dayo Akinte, and Dr Dapo Iwala, have defected to the APC. The defection of these leaders, along with other notable figures such as Mr Femi Ofakunrin, Mr Olumide Olugbebi, Ms Omowumi George, and Mr Gbenga Aro, signals a significant realignment in the political fabric of Ondo State.
The trend of defections is not confined to political leaders alone. In the grassroots, the APC has also absorbed a significant number of women leaders and other influential figures from the PDP.
Alhaji Rauf Ogunsola (Arowasi), Ms Taiye Afilaka, Hon Adetimehin Badeji Jacob, Dr Felix Kehinde, and Comrade Babatunde Sobande are among those who have left the PDP for the APC.
In Ilaje Local Government, Mrs Popoola Shina, a former Women Ward Leader in Ugbo Ward 1, joined the APC, followed by Mrs Omowunmi Omoseebi, Mrs Ehinmola Oluremi, Mrs Omomowo Olawunmi, and Ajimisan Omoleye, all of whom were key women leaders in various wards.
This flurry of defections has highlighted the intensifying rivalry between the two major political parties in Ondo State. While the APC continues to attract key figures from the PDP, Starnews NG reports that the PDP, under the leadership of Agboola Ajayi, has successfully lured a substantial number of grassroots supporters from the ruling party.
The ongoing defections underscore a broader trend of political instability in Ondo State, as both parties engage in a high-stakes battle for dominance ahead of the November gubernatorial election.
As the political temperature rises, the electorate in Ondo State is left to navigate a landscape marked by shifting allegiances, as politicians and party members alike reposition themselves in the ever-evolving quest for power.
Amidst the political turmoil, observers are keenly watching how these defections will impact the upcoming gubernatorial election, as the two main contenders, the APC and PDP, vie for control of the state.
Meanwhile, as some leaders and members of the APC celebrate the defection of Dr. Segun Mimiko and other PDP figures to the ruling party, the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Agboola Ajayi, has dismissed their significance.
In a statement released by his Media and Publicity Adviser, Ayo Fadaka, Ajayi asserted that the defectors had long lost their relevance within the PDP.
He stated, “They were completely detached from the preparations for the election and had remained redundant within the PDP for a considerable length of time. Their departure cannot be seen as a loss to the party.”
Ajayi further remarked, “They were excess baggage waiting to be shed.”
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