No fewer than 5,000 stalwarts and members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State have defected to the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors, mainly from the Ogun West Senatorial District, were formally received into the APC on Sunday at an event in Ilaro, headquarters of Yewa South Local Government Area.
They were received by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, the APC governorship candidate Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, and the state APC chairman, Yemi Sanusi.
Why the PDP members defected
The former Ogun State PDP chairman, Sikirullahi Ogundele, led several notable party leaders into the APC.
Mr Ogundele, who said he spent seven years in the PDP, explained that he left because he believed the party had fallen into a deep crisis.
He described his decision as an attempt to escape what he called “political slavery”, while arguing that the movement of governors and other prominent politicians away from the PDP showed the extent of the party’s problems.
Mr Ogundele also claimed that the PDP in Ogun had become an “empty shell”, and said the defectors were joining the APC to contribute their political experience to the party’s activities ahead of 2027.
Defectors dismiss Yayi’s indigene controversy
Mr Ogundele also addressed the controversy over Senator Adeola’s origin and eligibility to contest the Ogun governorship election.
He described the issue as a recurring feature of governorship contests in Ogun, citing previous claims concerning former governors Olusegun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun.
Mr Ogundele argued that similar allegations had been made against those former governors before they won elections, and urged APC supporters to disregard the claims against Mr Adeola.
The defectors included Sina Adejobi, Akinloye Bankole, a former PDP publicity secretary, Soji Eweje, a former chairman of Yewa North Local Government, Ganiu Dada, popularly known as Obanibasiri, and former PDP woman leader Kemi Adeyemi, among others.
APC promises integration
Presenting the APC’s broom symbol to the new members, the state party chairman, Yemi Sanusi, assured the defectors that they would retain their leadership status within the party.
Mr Sanusi urged them to work at the ward level to help the APC secure elective positions across Ogun State in the 2027 elections.
Abiodun welcomes defectors
Governor Abiodun welcomed the new members and said they would be accommodated and fully integrated into the APC.
He thanked the defectors for what he described as their decision to join forces with the ruling party and called for cooperation among members ahead of the 2027 elections.
Mr Abiodun said the party would work together as a united family to pursue its objectives in the state.
The latest movement adds to the ongoing political realignment in Ogun ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with both the APC and opposition parties receiving defectors and mobilising supporters across the state.
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