By Adeboye Ado, Akure
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, have engaged in war of words over defection of some members of the opposition party who recently pitched their tents with the APC.
The APC had last week in a statement said it received over 60 prominent Chieftains of the PDP into its party.
The defectors are: Banji Kuroloja, erstwhile personal secretary to the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo; Idowu Akinseye, a former special adviser to ex-Ondo governor Olusegun Mimiko; John Jejela, PDP chairman of Elders’ Forum, among several others.
Receiving them into the party, the state Chairman of APC, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, said the chieftains of PDP who decamped to the governing party were the people who gave the ruling party a tough time during elections.
Adetimehin therefore said the defection would further brighten the chances and Give APC uttermost victory in Idanre Local Government Area.
He said, “I am happy today that these strong chieftains of PDP decamped to our party, APC. I can authoritatively tell you that these are the strong machineries of the PDP who always gave us a tough time during elections in Idanre Local Government.”
Mr Jejela, chairman of the PDP Elders’ Forum in Idanre, while speaking on behalf of the defectors, said they decided to “collapse the structure of the opposition party into the APC, to boost the strength of party in this local government.”
But the opposition PDP, on Wednesday disowned the defectors, saying those that left the party were facing disciplinary actions.
Adekunle Akinlalu, the PDP chairman in Idanre, in a terse statement listed eight of the defectors as non-active members who had been on suspension for anti-party activities since after the general elections. READ ALSO:
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“It was only eight members who were already on suspension due to their anti-party activities in the last general election that defected to the APC,” Mr Akinlalu said in the statement signed by the spokesman for the PDP in the LGA, Adeyemi Fasoranti
He added, “It is also on record that the defectors find joy in moving from one party to the other because of fear of tomorrow.
“It is on record and crystal to everybody in the country that Idanre local government remains the home of the PDP in Ondo State. Recall that the PDP convincingly won all their previous elections in the local government.”
