The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Ibadan North-East State Constituency 2 in the 2027 general elections, Hammed Ademola, and an Accord aspirant for the same constituency, Adedapo Ojo, have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, alongside more than 3,000 supporters.
Ademola, popularly known as Lucky, said his decision to leave the PDP was influenced by his assessment of the political situation in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I did my due diligence and realised that any ticket outside the APC is a mere tissue paper that cannot take a candidate anywhere in 2027.
“We are here in our hundreds to formally join the APC, and we promise to do our best in the interest of the progressive party and our dear country, Nigeria,” Ademola said.
Ojo, who was seeking the Accord ticket in the same constituency, also announced his decision to join the APC, describing his previous political efforts with Accord as unproductive.
“We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.
“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.
The defectors were received by the Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them that they would have equal opportunities within the party.
He also urged the new members to work towards strengthening the party and securing victory in the 2027 general elections.
The APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, also welcomed the new members and promised that his administration would be inclusive if elected in 2027.
“It is a thing of joy that reasonable individuals are abandoning their parties to join the APC at a time like this.
“The hope is getting brighter every day, and it is now important for us to prepare because Oyo State deserves the best from May 2027,” Alli said.
The event was attended by the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji, the party’s Oyo South Senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni and other party leaders.
Oyo 2027: PDP candidate, Accord aspirant, 3,000 others join APC