•  Atiku’s State Collation Agent In Ogun Joins APC

About 190,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, under the aegis of PDP Vanguard, have drawn a battleline with Governor Seyi Makinde, who is seeking re-election for a second time on office.

They said they have chosen to work against Makinde, and that they would instead support the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Teslim Folarin, purportedly based on the role Makinde seemed to have played on February 25, which they said was unfavourable to the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, who lost to the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Coordinator of the group, Akeem Adeyemi, said in a statement that members of PDP Vanguard decided to work for emergence of the APC governorship candidate, Folarin because Makinde allegedly sacrificed the electoral fortunes of PDP national assembly candidates for his personal ambition.

“The PDP Vanguard decided to rise up against Makinde’s political ambition in the future, as he did for the presidential candidate of our party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”

PDP Vanguard alleged that aside working against party’s candidates, arrogance and selfishness of Makinde in the last four years have crippled the party in the state.

The PDP Vanguard made a reference to a video clip that went viral on the social media in the last few days, where former special adviser to Governor Makinde on Diaspora Matters, Bolanle Sarumi vowed to work against the governor for his purported lackadaisical attitude towards members of the party.

Speaking further on their defection, PDP Vanguard, which has 190,000 members across the state said some of its members attended a recent meeting called by the governor, where Makinde allegedly told them that he had an agreement with Tinubu that he would join APC if he wins elections.

The statement reads: “It is supprising that Makinde could expect us to work for his second term ambition when he arrogantly and deliberately ignored many warnings to support our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. We can’t stay in the same party with such a betrayal.

“We agree with Bolanle Sarumi’s outburst that those that worked against PDP national assembly candidates must sink. Some of our members only attended the meeting he called to listen to his trash. Makinde has proved to be a serial betrayal and we shall pay him back on Saturday.

“We therefore warn him and his co-travellers to be careful of their sponsored propaganda against Senator Teslim Folarin, whom we have had a working relationship with while in our party. We all know that you are behind the recent attacks on his personality and it cannot safe you on Saturday.”

Atiku’s State Collation Agent In Ogun Joins APC

Johnson Fatoki, the collation agent for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in Ogun State during the February 25 election, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fatoki has joined the ruling party ahead of the governorship and House of Assembly elections next week.

His defection adds to the growing list of opposition party leaders who have defected to Governor Dapo Abiodun’s camp in a “political transfer market,” as pundits have dubbed it.

Other PDP chieftains who defected to the APC include Segun Seriki, Otunba Femi Osifade, Alhaji Saula Adegunwa, Ralph Olaosebikan, and Mr Tola Mebude.

Others include Bola Odumosun, former PDP Financial Secretary in Ogun State, Alhaji T.A. Olatokunbo, Alhaja Fatimo Sonibare, Michael Agbolaade, former chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, and Akeem Salami, former House of Assembly member.

Speaking at Governor Abiodun’s Iperu-Remo country home, Fatoki, the leader of the Ogun Central team and a former member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, said the group of members from various political parties faced a lot of pressure and overtures before deciding to pitch their tent with Governor Abiodun.

Fatoki described the group as “a complete team,” saying it is made up of experienced politicians from Ogun Central who are leaders in their respective communities and are not pushed overs in the political terrain.

“This team is a complete team. Our members cut across different parties who had held at least one political post currently in the past.

“We are not here to demand for anything but here to work for the governor. The party will win even after Governor Abiodun’s next four years. We know that whether we join the APC or not, the party will still win, so it is better we join now” Fatoki stated.