• Nobody can deprive anybody from joining the PDP, says Faboyede

• PDP leaders cannot be bought, Faboyede fires back at rumour-mongers

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State, Engr. Clement Faboyede, has spoken on the alleged defection of the Ondo State deputy governor, Barr Agboola Ajayi, into the PDP ahead of October 10 governorship election in the state.

Starnews NG reports that the social media was awash on Wednesday evening that Ondo State deputy Governor, Barr Agboola Ajayi, has perfected plans to defect to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the array of aspirants to struggle for the ticket of the party in May this year ahead of the governorship election in October this year.

It was also alleged that the state deputy governor has had series of clandestine meetings with some top leaders of the PDP in Ondo State and has promised to give them bogus amount of money to buy the party’s ticket for him to run against his boss who he accused of frustrating him in the last three years in office as the state’s deputy governor according to a report on Facebook.

But in a telephone interview with Starnews NG on Wednesday, Faboyede said he was hearing the news of the alleged defection of the deputy governor for the very first time. But however said nobody can deprive anybody from joining the PDP. He also said that nobody can buy the PDP leaders in the state to secure the ticket of the party.

His words: “All you are saying are new to me as far as I know. Nobody has ever contacted me or any of our party leaders to the best of my knowledge especially whether or not the state deputy governor, Barr Agboola Ajayi is coming to join the PDP to contest.”

“We are not aware of that. We have over 10 functional aspirants in the party already and we are still expecting more within the party or outside the party as nobody can deprive anybody from joining the PDP to contest election as long as those joining are not less than a month or two months old in the party.”

“Even at that, you can join the PDP today and contest tomorrow if you can secure a waver from your ward.”

“However, nobody can buy us. I mean nobody can buy the leaders of our party in Ondo State to secure our party ticket. We have over 2000 delegates and they are men and women of integrity.”

“How many are the leaders that someone can just buy to secure the wining votes? That’s not possible because in our party, you will work and campaign vigorously with convincing reasons before anybody can vote for you to fly our flag”, he said.

On inquiry, Mr. Sam Ogunmusi, the personal assistant to the deputy governor said people should disregard any news flying on the social media against his boss.

“ You will recall that I am not active recently on Facebook because of a lot of fake news everyday. Campaign period is very near with a lot of propaganda here and there. I saw the story you are referring. Just disregard it because it is not true,” he said.

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