Over 500 PDP members defect to APC in Ondo State, citing party crises and pledging support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election and state leadership
No fewer than 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including former council chairman Dele Olatunji and members of the PDP executive in Irele Local Government Area, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), consolidating the ruling party’s dominance in the state.
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The defectors were formally welcomed at the Civic Centre, Ode Irele, on Sunday by Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Legislative and Party Matters, Mr Babatunde Kolawole.
“I want to welcome and congratulate you on your decision to join the winning party. Your coming to us has further confirmed the supremacy of the APC in Ondo State,” Kolawole quoted the governor as saying.
He urged the defectors to work closely with party leaders to strengthen the APC and support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Segun Omoyofunmi, described the move as wise and timely, urging the new members to integrate fully with APC leadership at the ward level and actively contribute to the party’s success across the local government and state.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, former PDP House of Assembly candidate Mr Anjorin Dagbatan, popularly known as Opekete, said the decision was motivated by persistent crises within the PDP at both state and national levels.
“We decided to leave the PDP because of the unresolved crisis at the state and federal levels. We can see that the APC is the only political party with the capacity and vision to take Nigeria to greater heights,” Dagbatan said.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Agenda, which he described as already yielding positive economic results.
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Analysts note that defections from the PDP to the APC have been a recurring pattern in Ondo politics, with both opposition leaders and grassroots members increasingly moving to the ruling party in recent years.
