Ex-Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja has declared that the defection of Chief Adebayo Alao Akala; former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin; former Deputy Governor, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and a former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Ayodele Adigun to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state will not stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from capturing the state in 2019.
As the news was reported that all arrangements have been concluded to receive notable politicians from PDP, Labour Party among others to the fold of APC at an event slated to hold at Mapo Hall, today (Saturday).
But, Ladoja while speaking when he received a former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu at his Ondo Street Ibadan residence on Friday noted that their defection to APC does not mean anything to PDP.
He said, “Do you know that all the politicians are not more than five per cent of the voting population? So, one person moving from one party to another does not matter, it is the population that matters. The population is still solidly behind us.
“Akala has been in APC since two years ago after he left Labour Party (LP), immediately after 2015 elections. I think it’s just now they have time to celebrate him because election is coming.
“Teslim is there. I don’t know how many people he has been able to take along, though he contested in the last election. He is welcomed to contest in another election again. Dele Adigun, is a good technocrat and I hope he will play the game according to the rules by being fair to everybody.
“I am not contesting, I’m already an elder statesman, but I have flair for the PDP.”
Ladoja also described as untrue the allegation that since the structures of PDP in the state have been handed over to him, he had sidelined those that were strong supporters of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, based on the roles they allegedly played in his 11 months impeachment as governor of the state between 2003 and 2007.
“All those claims are not true. The PDP congresses were transparent”.
The Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland also revealed that the PDP would participate in the local government election which the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi said would hold early next year.
The ex-Governor, however, added that the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) must give a 90-day notice before the conduct of the poll.
Source:DPN.
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