Ondo APC Defectors Join SDP Ahead of Governorship Election

In a surprising move, some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), just weeks before the November 16 governorship election. The defectors, led by Femi Ikoyi, joined the SDP at a rally held at the party’s secretariat in Akure, where they dropped their APC membership cards and collected new ones from the SDP.

According to Ikoyi, the group was not treated fairly in the APC, prompting their decision to switch parties. “We were a strong force in Ondo APC, known as the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM),” Ikoyi explained. “We aim to win the election. What APC is doing to us at the local level is not encouraging. This is why we are moving to SDP. I am here to deliver Akingboye, our candidate.”

Ikoyi revealed that more APC and PDP members have indicated interest in joining the SDP to support their candidate, Otunba Bamidele Akingboye. The chairman of the Ondo SDP, Gbenga Akinbunmi, welcomed the defectors, assuring them of equal treatment within the party. Akingboye, the state SDP governorship candidate, congratulated the defectors for joining the party and promised to embark on inclusive governance if elected as governor.

The sudden influx of APC defectors is likely to impact the outcome of the governorship election in Ondo State, as the SDP candidate, Akingboye, now has a significant boost in terms of support and experience. With the election just weeks away, it remains to be seen how the move will affect the electoral landscape in Ondo State.