Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has formally received former ward leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from four local government areas in the Ogun East Senatorial District into the All Progressives Congress (APC). The defectors, drawn from Ijebu North, Ijebu East, Ijebu North-East and Odogbolu, were welcomed at a meeting in Abeokuta on Wednesday evening.
Addressing the new members, Governor Abiodun described the APC as the dominant political force in the state. He questioned the rationale behind remaining in opposition parties despite consecutive electoral defeats in 2019 and 2023. “We don’t make noise, we don’t drink whisky or Hennessy; we work to ensure the continuous development of the state,” he said. The governor cited losses in areas that previously produced high-ranking officials, including former federal lawmaker Hon. Adegbesan, as evidence that the opposition no longer holds sway.
Abiodun highlighted his administration’s commitment to completing projects abandoned by previous governments, emphasizing that such infrastructure was funded with taxpayers’ money. “This is the first government that has completed abandoned projects from previous administrations,” he stated, referencing the completion of a hospital and the Buhari Estate. “A building is not a house until it is properly finished and functional.”
The governor urged the defectors to become advocates for the APC and the Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring them that a formal rally would be organised to celebrate their entry. He pledged that they would not be disappointed and would soon experience the dividends of democracy under APC leadership.
APC State Chairman Chief Yemi Sanusi welcomed the move, describing it as a wise decision and affirming the party’s capacity to accommodate all members willing to contribute to state development.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, former PDP Ward 2 Chairman in Ijebu North, Hon. Adebowale Emmanuel; Ward 6 Chairman Prince Adeyemi Adewale; and Ajibandele Ward Chairman in Ijebu East, Hon. Adedokun Kazeem, said they were joining the “train of development” under Abiodun. Chief Michael Bakare, ADC Secretary in Ijebu East, thanked the governor for facilitating the installation of a traditional ruler in Imobi, framing their defection as a rejection of retrogression. ADC Chairman in Ijebu North-East, Hon. Erinle Opeoluwa Samuel, commended ongoing development across the state and said the decision to join the APC was long overdue.
The mass defection signals a continued consolidation of APC’s political control in Ogun East ahead of future electoral cycles, with the ruling party positioning itself as the primary vehicle for governance and patronage in the region.
