•  APC shouldn’t be an option, PDP will come out stronger, says Peretei

Following the success of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State at the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections, there are strong indications that the structure of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state is on the verge of collapse as the mass defection of PDP stalwarts and their teeming supporters looms.

Starnews Nigeria reports that the ruling APC in Ondo State won the presidential and National Assembly elections conducted on February 25, 2023, across all the federal constituencies in the state except Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency where the candidate of the PDP, Hon Festus Akingbaso Fessy-west, was declared winner of the election as the House of Representatives Member-elect for the federal constituency.

The three Senate seats and eight out of the nine House of Representatives seats in the State including the presidential election were swept by the ruling APC in Ondo State.

Starnews Nigeria gathered that the mass and unprecedented electoral failure of the PDP in Ondo State might not be unconnected with the division in the party and flagrant disrespect for the two serving PDP senators who were allegedly not carried along in the presidential and National Assembly election campaigns.

While the two PDP serving Senators were sufficiently aggrieved for their exclusion and neglect by the leadership of the party in the scheme of things during the campaign, the Pro-Wike camp led by the former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko who allegedly abandoned the Atiku-Okowa presidential campaign also compounded the problem of the PDP in the state, ditto some unpopular candidates fielded by the party for National Assembly election in some senatorial districts/federal constituencies.

It was gathered that the Senator representing Ondo Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, had perfected plans to dump the opposition PDP with all his followers.

“Akinyelure is not happy that he was sidelined. The Senator was not treated well by the leaders of the PDP in the state despite his performance. He has perfected his plans to leave and will soon press the exit button from the PDP to join the APC with all his supporters”, a chieftain of the PDP close to the Senator who pleaded anonymity told Starnews Nigeria on Monday.

“When contacted on the telephone, Mr Charles Akinwon, the Special Adviser to Senator Ayo Akinyelure on Media and Publicity, said he can’t comment on the matter now. He said his principal will address the press at the appropriate time as he was not authorized to speak on the matter, but he cracked a joke with our correspondent before dropping the call by saying “although no one plans to remain in a sinking boat,” but insisted that his boss will address the press at the appropriate time to respond to the persistent inquiries by Journalists.

In Ondo South, Starnews Nigeria learnt that the Senatorial Secretary of the party in the district, Deaconess Funmilola Ademoyegun, has resigned her appointment and membership from the PDP.

Deaconess Ademoyegun confirmed her resignation in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday. She said, “I have resigned my appointment as Ondo PDP Senatorial Secretary and my membership from the PDP. I am yet to join any political party but I am no longer a member of the PDP and I am on the same page with all my supporters in Ileoluji/Okeigbo Local Government. We are currently studying the political atmosphere in Nigeria, we will take our decision at the appropriate time ”, she added.

When contacted on the phone, the Senator representing Ondo South in the Senate, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, said he will never leave the PDP on whose platform he rose to become a Senator.

According to him, “by God’s grace, I rose to become a Senator on the platform of the PDP and for that reason, I will never leave the party. Although we were not treated well by the leadership of the party. We were sidelined and neglected in the scheme of things. We were not consulted in the composition of the presidential campaign committee and we were not even nominated as members of any committee in the state.

“They didn’t involve me and my colleague but I have moved on. I have since forgiven them. And I will not leave the PDP. After my tenure, I will return home and will continue to leave my life as a member of the party. It does not even cross my mind to defect. As for leaving the party, please count me out. My answer is no, no, no”, he added.

In Ondo North Senatorial District, Starnews Nigeria gathered that the current lawmaker and member of the House of Representatives-elect representing Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency under the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is currently in talks with some leaders of the opposition PDP who have decided to join the ruling APC in the area.

It was gathered from some of the chieftains of the PDP who spoke with Starnews Nigeria that they can no longer remain in opposition for another four years.

Reacting to the development, the state publicity secretary of the PDP in Ondo State, Ikandu Peretei said those leaving the PDP to join the ruling APC are going to regret it later. According to him, “ some of them worked against their party, the PDP, during the election for bread and butter. So, if they are going, I wish them the best of luck. But I know it is not yet over for the PDP in Ondo State. We will soon look at the causes of our defeat to address them and come out stronger.

“APC shouldn’t be an option for anyone. They crumbled the economy, brought hardships, and ruined our patrimony. But unfortunately, some of our people aren’t looking at this. APC endured 16 years of opposition before it regained power. But some of our people can’t endure because of the bread-and-butter politics they are playing. The Ondo State PDP still has the opportunity to get things right. The governorship election is almost here. We will look at our errors and fix them. In the end, we will come out stronger”, he added.