Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP) in Kwara State have received new set of defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as they pledged to canvass and deliver massive votes for the party in the February and March polls.

The defectors who were drawn from 10 out of the 12 political wards in Offa were received yesterday by high-powered PDP chieftains led by the State Chairman of PDP, Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, at the party’s secretariat in GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Mr. Olarinoye Maruf (Ojomu North-West), expressed disappointment in the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq APC-led administration, adding that Offa has benefited nothing significant in terms of human capacity development.

According to him, their decision to quit the party was informed by the lack of transparency, youth unemployment, and the lingering crisis arising from the APC’s primaries that were held in May 2022.

He said: “After much deliberations with thousands of our followers, we have decided to resign our membership of the APC to join the people-centric party, the PDP.

“Today, no chieftain or member of the APC can boast of our influence and impact in the last ‘OTOGEE’ struggle across the twelve political wards in Offa Local Government.

“The essence of joining politics is for the future of our children but the reverse was the case after the emergence of APC in the 2019 elections.

“Instead of our children benefiting from the government we worked for, they were all disappointed with us because we could not provide them with job opportunities and facilities that could make their lives better.”

While expressing optimism, Olarinoye stressed that the defectors are hopeful that the PDP would address their grievances and bring good tidings for the good people of Offa when voted back into power.

“And today, as we resolve to join the PDP, we are hopeful that our plight will be addressed and our children will be proud of the incoming government,” he added.

The defectors further stated that Gov. AbdulRazaq and the Offa-born senator representing Kwara South Senatorial District, Senator Lola Ashiru, have provided poor leadership in terms of addressing their plight and the crisis that has beguiled the party in Offa.

They, therefore, assured that thousands of their followers would be mobilised across the various wards in Offa LG to ensure a landslide victory for all the PDP candidates at the February and March polls in the state.

Receiving the decampees, the Director General for the PDP Gubernatorial Campaign Council in Kwara, Prof. Ali Ahmad, noted that for the party to succeed at the polls, the new entrants must ensure they support their kinsmen, Ajeigbe, Oyeleke, and numerous PDP stakeholders to win at the presidential and National Assembly elections this month.

The director general added that the emergence of all the PDP candidates at the polls would bring good fortune for the good people of Kwara State, particularly in Offa Local Government.

Ali further expressed that the State DG for Atiku Campaign, Dr. Mahmud Ajeigbe, and the PDP’s Candidate for Offa/Oyun/ Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, are illustrious sons of Offa who have distinguished themselves as ‘Omoluabi’ while serving in various capacities during the PDP govt.

Also speaking, the State Chairman of PDP, Mohammed, enjoined the defectors to canvass votes for all the party candidates across the board.

He thanked them for their informed decision to join the party while assuring that when voted back into power, the PDP-led government would reward the good people of Offa for their support.

The defectors who are majorly APC ex-wards chairmen across the twelve (12) political wards in Offa Local Government included Olayemi Rafiu (Ojomu North-West); Olanrewaju Muritala (Shawo South-West); Fagade Akeem (Balogun Ward); Oladuntoye Olalekan (Balogun Ward).

Others include: Oyerinde Tunde (Ojomu CB); Babatunde Saheed (Ojomu CB); Bolaji Salahudeen (Shawo SW); Alhameeda Mubarak (Shawo SW); Olajemi Oluranti (Ojomu CB); Oyebode Toyin Ismail (Shawo SW); Lasun Olarinoye (Ojomu CB); Kayode Olaosebikan (Shawo South-East); Segun Olanipekun (Essa A).