UPDATED: Defection hits Osun PDP as two chieftains decamp to APC

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

A former National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Allhaji Shuaib Oyedokun and Governorship aspirant of the party in Osun State, Omooba Dotun Babayemi on Friday officially decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

They were received at the  APC Secretariat in Osogbo by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru, former governor of the state and incumbent Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola among others.

While welcoming the new members, Oyetola said he is confident that come  2026 Governorship election in the State, the party will  take over the state.

He said, “It is an irony that we lost an election over a year ago and there has been no major defection from the party. What we have is the reverse. It is the ruling party that is coming to us, which shows that APC remains a party to beat. We’ve done so well, and people are starting to see that when it comes to governance, the Progressive knows how to.

“The way President Tinubu has been governing us, that’s what the APC governors in their respective states have been doing. I am delighted for the fact that we are not just getting anybody but people of substance.

“Like Baba Shuiabu, he is a veteran member of the PDP, decamping to the APC. It shows that PDP doesn’t exist any longer here.I am confident that in 2026 we are going to take over the state. This is just the beginning because a number of people are willing to come back to us, and a lot of political heavyweights are coming to join us.

“I  urged members of the APC to welcome our new members and integrate them into the system without any discrimination.

“Alhaji Shuiabu and Dotun Babayemi were members of the APC in the past, they’ve seen things, they’ve seen the difference between progressive and conservative and they are back in to the Party. The welfare of the People, security, remains the essence of government.”

Also, the National Secretary of the party, Basiru urged members of the party to work together and continue to mobilize  towards having a victory in 2026 Governorship election.

His words: “We are here on behalf of the National Working Committee of the APC to welcome the decampees from the PDP at the state chapter of the Osun APC.

“As you can see, we have important personalities coming to join the APC from the PDP in Osun. We have a former BoT member and former vice chairman of the PDP.

“And also Otunba Dotun Babayemi and his group, and when you see the quality and caliber of politicians joining us, you’ll see that we are ready to chase out the government of Adeleke come 2026.”

One of the decamped, Babayemi,  said he joined the opposition party with his entire political network and members of his Atunto group.

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