The People’s Democratic Party in Ondo State has made it clear that the leaders who defected to the ruling All Progressive Congress won’t impact their chances of winning the November 16 governorship election.
Over 5,000 associates of former governor Olusegun Mimiko and other party leaders from 18 council areas jumped ship to the APC, welcomed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and state party chairman Engineer Ade Adetimehin.
The Special Adviser, Media and Publicity of the PDP’s Campaign Organization, Ayo Fadaka, stated, “We take due cognizance of the actions of some people led by Hon Joseph Akinlaja that have since joined the APC two months back.”
Fadaka emphasized that these individuals were already disconnected from the party’s developments, pointing out that one of them, who ran for the gubernatorial ticket, was actually sponsored by the APC and nominated as NDDC Commissioner under the Tinubu administration.
According to Fadaka, “such a character cannot be considered as an asset to the Party.”
He further noted, “We note conclusively that these people are mere rolling stones who gather no moss as they relocate from one Party to another during every election cycle. They have never been politically stable, the reason we are not missing them.”
Fadaka believes that their defection will not benefit Governor Aiyedatiwa and the APC, instead saying, “They will add nothing… rather they will become unlucky, and we congratulate him and APC on this account.”
Fadaka extended an invitation to APC members, urging them to join the PDP, saying, “To serious-minded people remaining in APC, we urge them to take cognizance that a large chunk of their colleagues responsible for APC’s success in the past have since teamed up with us, so they must waste no further time to join the PDP in our quest to reposition our State for development and productivity.”
