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| All Progressives Congress (APC) |
No fewer than 5,000 members and stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors, drawn mainly from the Ogun West Senatorial District, formally joined the APC during a reception held on Sunday in Ilaro, headquarters of Yewa South Local Government Area of the state.
The new members were received into the APC by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; the party's 2027 governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi; and the state APC Chairman, Yemi Sanusi.
Speaking at the event, former Ogun State PDP Chairman, Sikirullahi Ogundele, said he led several prominent members of the opposition party to the APC because of what he described as “political slavery” within the PDP.
Ogundele, who said he spent seven years in the PDP, attributed his decision and that of other party members to what he described as an internal crisis within the opposition party. He also cited the movement of some governors and prominent politicians away from the PDP as an indication of the party's current challenges.
He said remaining in the PDP under the circumstances would amount to “political suicide” for experienced politicians. According to him, the party had lost its former structure in the state, describing what remained of the PDP as “an empty shell.”
Ogundele further said the defectors had decided to join the APC and pledged to contribute their political experience towards the party's mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the Ogun State origin of the APC governorship candidate, Adeola, Ogundele described the issue as a recurring feature of governorship contests in the state.
He urged APC supporters to disregard the allegations, citing previous instances in which similar questions were raised about the origins of former Ogun governors, including Olusegun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun. His comments represented his own position on the controversy.
At the ceremony, Sanusi presented the APC's broom symbol to the defectors and assured them that their leadership experience would be recognised within the party structure. He also urged them to return to their respective wards and participate in grassroots mobilisation.
Governor Abiodun, in his remarks, welcomed the new members and assured them of their integration into the APC, urging them to work with existing members of the party.
The defection is part of ongoing political realignments and mobilisation activities in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 general elections.