LAGOS PDP SPOKESMAN, OTHERS DEFECT TO APC (FULL LIST)

Agency report

The spokesperson of the Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hakeem Amode, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Amode, alongside several other PDP chieftains, announced their defection during a press conference held on Monday in Ikeja, Lagos.

He revealed that their decision to join the APC was inspired by the visionary leadership of the PDP’s 2023 governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, who had earlier made the switch to the ruling party.

“It is with great honour and a profound sense of responsibility that we stand before you today to announce a pivotal decision; one that marks a significant turning point not just for us as individuals, but for many committed political stakeholders who have journeyed with us over the years.

“Today, we have decided to collapse the entire PDP structure in Lagos State, from ward to the state level , to allign with His Excellency Jandor to decamp en masse to the APC.

“The PDP, both at the national and state levels, has lost its way.

“The party has deviated from the founding ideals that once made it the largest and most respected political platform in Africa.

“Today, its future is riddled with tension and uncertainty.

“The PDP is in a coma and may not survive unless urgent measures are taken,” Amode said.

He noted that the defectors had spent a significant and eventful period within the PDP, marked by both accomplishments and challenges.

According to him, many of them had the opportunity to serve the party in different capacities, contributed to its growth, and gave their best efforts in pursuit of positive change.

He said, “However, after thorough introspection and extensive consultation, we believe it is time to chart a new course.

“This decision has not been made lightly.

“It reflects our commitment to taking control of our political destinies in order to better serve our people and the loyal supporters who continue to stand by us.”

Amode said that the PDP in Lagos, under the leadership of Philip Aivoji, had been fractured and disunited.

“Poor leadership and a lack of cohesion have cost us dearly

“Today, we, alongside several former PDP candidates at various levels, national, local government executives, ward leaders, and key stakeholders across Lagos, formally resign from the PDP and align ourselves with the APC.

“We have submitted our letters of resignation to our respective ward chairmen, local government chairmen, and the state leadership of the PDP,” he said.

Amode, who noted that the decision to leave the PDP was not driven by personal ambition, clarified that defecting to the APC was to serve the society better.

“We are determined to work with our new partners in the APC to deliver the true dividends of democracy to every corner of our great state.

Safurat Abdulkareem, who has twice contested as the PDP’s deputy governorship candidate in the state, stated that the defectors were committed to joining the progressives in their efforts to improve the state.

Similarly, former State PDP Deputy Chairman, Chief Ola Apena, remarked that the PDP no longer holds any political relevance in the state.

“The PDP is dead. There is no more PDP.

“The party is in complete limbo and we don’t know whether it will  be  up,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of 2023 PDP state House of Assembly candidates, Mr Ibrahim Balogun, who flew the party’s flag in Kosofe, said he wasted time by staying in the PDP for 18 years.

“We will work for Tinubu in 2027. We are going en masse into the APC.

“Jandor is a visionary leader to follow because he is a man of the people,” Balogun said.

Jandor, who congratulated the defectors, said, ” We have successfully collapsed the entire structure of the PDP into the APC now.

“There is no point in belonging to a political party that has no determination and purpose of winning elections. The PDP is a social club, not interested in winning.

“Lagos State PDP leadership is ensuring that the party does not win and the party had been doing this for over two decades now, wasting people’s destiny.

“I congratulate these PDP leaders for joining me in the APC.

“The PDP is a sinking ship. In Nigeria of today, there is no other viable platform apart from the APC,” Adediran said.

Several other PDP leaders also announced their defection to the APC, including Prince Rufus Adeniyi, former PDP Assistant State Organising Secretary (Lagos West), and Mr. Jerry Afemikhe (Olori Odo), a former PDP House of Representatives candidate for Surulere Constituency I.

Among the 2023 PDP Lagos State House of Assembly candidates who left the party were Keshinro Abiodun (Epe I), Akeem Jinadu (Eti-Osa I), and Ibrahim Balogun (Kosofe II).

Others who defected included Taofeek Obanikoro (Lagos Island I), Tunde Pratt (Lagos Mainland II), Saheed Aregbesola (Oshodi-Isolo II), Sulaimon Thompson (Surulere I), and Taofeek Kuye (Ajeromi-Ifelodun I).

Also joining the APC were Mr. Adeyemi Kazeem, former PDP Chairman of Ojo Local Government, and Pastor Gbenga Ogunleye, media aide to the 2023 Lagos PDP governorship candidate.