Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has received former ward leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and African Democratic Congress, ADC, from Ijebu North, Ijebu East, Ijebu North-East and Odogbolu Local Government Areas into the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Abiodun, who received the defectors at a meeting in Abeokuta on Wednesday evening, described the APC as the party to beat in Ogun State, while questioning the continued relevance of opposition parties in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor said he could not understand why some politicians remained in the PDP despite what he described as the party’s repeated electoral defeats in the state.
“We don’t make noise, we don’t drink whisky or Hennessy; we work to ensure the continuous development of the state,” Abiodun said.
He added, “Those of you who are still with the Peoples Democratic Party, I find it difficult to understand why you are still there. In 2019, they lost; in 2023, they lost again. What are you still doing there?”
Abiodun also questioned what he described as the absence of a compelling political alternative in the ADC, asking the defectors what the party had to offer them.
The governor recalled the performance of the opposition in Ijebu North, Ijebu East and Ijebu Waterside during previous elections, arguing that the strength of political office holders in those areas had not translated into electoral victory for the PDP.
“Even in Ijebu North, Ijebu East and Waterside, where you had the highest political office holder in the state in the National Assembly at that time, Hon. Adegbesan, who was a former member of the State Assembly, they still lost. So, what are you doing in the PDP? What does ADC have to offer you?” he asked.
Abiodun used the occasion to defend his administration’s record in completing projects inherited from previous governments, saying such projects were funded with public resources and therefore should not be abandoned.
According to him, his administration has made the completion of abandoned projects a priority because taxpayers’ money had already been committed to them.
“This is the first government that has completed abandoned projects from previous administrations. Doing that is part of my vow because they were not embarked upon with anybody’s father’s money; they were funded with our taxes. So, we have to finish them,” he said.
The governor cited the completion of a hospital project and the Buhari Estate as examples of projects started by previous administrations but completed under his government.
He explained that government projects should be properly completed before their benefits could be fully realised by the people.
“Somebody may build a hospital like he is building a house, but a building is not a house. You can build a building and it might not be a home. You can build four walls without a roof on it. It is when it is properly completed that you can finally start to receive the praise you deserve,” Abiodun said.
He urged the new APC members to become advocates of the party and the Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring them that a formal rally would soon be organised to celebrate their defection.
Abiodun also assured the defectors that they would not regret their decision to join the ruling party, promising that they would begin to experience what he described as the dividends of democracy under the APC-led administration.
The APC State Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi, welcomed the defectors, describing their decision to join the ruling party as a wise one.
Sanusi said the APC remained an accommodating political platform, adding that its doors were open to individuals willing to contribute to the development of Ogun State.
Among those who spoke on behalf of the defectors were former PDP Chairman of Ward 2, Ijebu North, Hon. Adebowale Emmanuel; Chairman of Ward 6, Ijebu North, Prince Adeyemi Adewale; and Ajibandele Ward Chairman in Ijebu East, Hon. Adedokun Kazeem.
They said their decision to leave the opposition was informed by their desire to join what they described as the development train under the Abiodun administration.
The ADC Secretary in Ijebu East Local Government, Chief Michael Bakare, also thanked the governor for facilitating the recognition of Imobi with a traditional ruler.
Bakare described the decision to join the APC as a move away from what he called retrogression towards progress.
Similarly, the ADC Chairman in Ijebu North-East Local Government, Hon. Erinle Opeoluwa Samuel, commended the development recorded across Ogun State, saying the decision to join the APC was one they should have taken earlier.
