The two major political parties in Ondo State, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have exchanged words over the political affairs of the state.

The APC through its chairman, Mr. Ade Adetimehin said the opposition party had gone into extinction in the state, stating that many chieftains of the PDP had left the party to join the APC but the PDP, in a statement by the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kennedy Peretei said his party was unperturbed by the defection of its former chieftains.

Adetimehin said, “Of all the political parties in Ondo State, APC is the only united party in Ondo State. There is no division and we are rancour-free. We work together under the leadership of Governor Akeredolu. He is a man that believes in the supremacy of the party.

“He never interferes in the running of the party. He allows the party to function effectively. That is what brings unity to the party and makes us the strongest political party in the state.

That is why many members of opposition political parties are coming to join the APC in Ondo State. Three days ago, the grassroots strength of the PDP totally collapsed into the APC. All the former vice chairmen and 203 former councilors defected to the APC. In Idanre, the Chairman of the PDP Elders Forum joined the APC. The PDP has gone into extinction in Ondo.”

On the other hand, the PDP’s spokesman said “Adetimehin is probably the only person who is oblivious of the fact that Ondo State people hold his party, APC, and its inhuman government responsible for their suffering and agony of the last eight years. Especially the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and its biting effect on everybody. He does not realise that even those who were tricked to vote APC in the 2023 general elections are already regretting and lamenting the miscalculation that has brought about untold hardship for them and their families.

“To say ‘PDP is now extinct’ is not only laughable but mischief of the highest order. The majority of the 203 Councillors Adetimehin is celebrating for joining his party have not been active in the last two cycles of elections in Ondo State. A few of them have been in the APC since 2016. How the defection of such characters translates to PDP being extinct can only be understood by someone like Adetimehin.

“The PDP in Ondo State is unruffled by a few persons who are in a self-destruct misadventure in Adetimehin’s sinking APC ship. While we sympathise with such persons, it is pathetic that those who should be weeping are dancing and rejoicing. But in no distant time, reality will dawn on them that, indeed, they lived a lie all along. PDP cannot be extinct, there are no such signs. And it will never be.”

Credit: Punch