As campaigns for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State officially kicked off on Wednesday, 19th of June, over 1,000 members of the All Progressives Congress have reportedly decamped to the opposition People’s Democratic Party days after, enriching Agboola Ajayi’s ambition.
The latest defection, analysts contend, is not a good omen for the ruling APC, which has vowed to hold on to power beyond 2028 in the Sunshine State.
The defectors, reportedly straddling across 208 wards and the 16 local government areas of the State, said they left the APC to pitch their tent with the PDP because the former lacked what they described as “internal democracy”.
They disclosed that since the APC took over the reins of power in the State, its leaders had not welcomed many members to the party, alleging that they run it like “an occult,” chasing potential members.
“The APC lacks internal democracy, a reason the party is factionalised. Since it came into power, leaders have not integrated many members. They are operating the party like an occult. We can’t stay in such a party any longer,” Akinwande Fayinminu, the former APC Organising Secretary in Akure South LGA, who spoke on behalf of other defectors at the welcoming ceremony held at Akure town hall on Wednesday, alleged.
While welcoming the defectors, the governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr Agboola Ajayi, noted how he and the party have been working round the clock to regain power from the APC. “We are working very hard to regain the state, and we need to be strategic about it to emerge victorious in the November 2024 election because the people of the state are looking up to us,” he said, adding that the new members will be well treated.
“Political jobbers”
Less than 24 hours after the PDP welcomed the over 1,000 members from the APC, Mr Kayode Fasua, the spokesperson of the Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers, released a statement describing the defectors as “political jobbers” who had been contracted to disguise as members of the APC at the welcoming ceremony after which they were paid for the services rendered by their paymasters.
“The crowd at the so-called PDP rally in Akure today was largely rented. This was amplified by the ugly spectre of people fighting over service money after the jamboree. No doubt, campaigns are just starting, and the happy people of Akure, who are impressed with the masses-oriented programs of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will troop out en mass to show gratitude once the APC campaigners mount the stump,” he said.
Responding to the claim by the defectors that the APC lacked an internal democracy, the spokesman said, “Those who reportedly said hunger chased them from APC to PDP are mere political jobbers, who underwent dress rehearsal to please their paymasters. They will soon be seen lobbying to play the same role, using the other side of the coin, when another political party comes to town for campaigns.”
Like the forthcoming Edo governorship election, analysts have predicted that the Ondo governorship poll will not be a walk in the park for the eventual victor given the political trajectories of the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the APC and Mr Agboola Ajayi of the PDP. The duo deputized the late former governor Rotimi Akeredolu and were contended with impeachment. They’re also said to be old associates and students of the former governor Olusegun Mimiko’s school of politics.
Analysts contend that both the Governor and the former Deputy Governor have rich political credentials and have weathered the storm of Ondo politics. They, however, note that they both have some hurdles to cross to run the affairs of the state from Alagbaka, the state’s seat of power, in the next four years. They argue that despite Lucky Aiyedatiwa being predicted to win the election by many, the internal crisis rocking, if not well managed, may be a clog in his wheel.
Too early to call
Analysts say it is too early to conclude whether the supposed defection of the over a thousand members of the APC to the PDP will cost the party’s candidate his aspiration or not. They note that the election is six months away and that within the period, there are chances that some members of the APC will defect to the PDP and vice versa.
