Ahead of the 2023 General Elections, the leadership and members of the Lagos State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have collapsed the party structure into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The state chairman of the party, Ms Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka, who led members of the party’s State Working Committee (SWC) and other leaders and members of the party to defect to the PDP on Monday, said the decision was reached based on the leadership qualities of the governorship candidate of the PDP, DDrAbdul- Azeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor), his running mate Olufunke Akindele and PDP’s candidate for House of Representatives in Eti Osa Federal Constituency, Hon. Olubankole Wellington, Bankky W.
According to Adeyinka, the listed candidates attracted them to the main opposition party, declaring that PDP was “the only credible alternative to the inept ruling APC.”
Adeyinka, who further disclosed that the decision to join the PDP followed months of consultations with stakeholders of other political parties, declared that they were proud and convinced that the step taken by them would make a difference in the coming elections.
“We are proud and convinced that the step we have taken will make a difference in the coming election. We did not just wake up and decided to join the PDP, it took months of interaction with all the possible parties we could join before we decided on the PDP. The most important thing for us was why?” she said.
The PDP governorship candidate, Jandor, while receiving the delegation at his campaign office, commended the defectors for taking a wise decision at the right time in the collective interest of the good people of Lagos State who he said had suffered untold hardship under the APC-led government.
The Lagos PDP Chairman, Hon. Philip Aivoji, later presented the party’s flag to the delegation, assuring them that they would not experience any act of discrimination in the party when the PDP formed the government on May 29, 2023.
“We want to assure you that once you join the PDP, you have become bonafide members and you are entitled to all rights and privileges enjoyed by those you met in the party. You are free to participate in party activities at the units, wards, local governments, and the state,” he said.
Jandor later announced the appointment of Ms Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka as one of the spokespersons for his campaign council, saying that the appointment takes immediate effect.
She joins other spokespersons earlier appointed by the PDP governorship candidate to keep the electorate updated about the goings-on in the campaign.