Osun 2018: Ex Commissioners, Akere, Bolorunduro, Senator Bayo Salami, others defect to ADP

THE gale of defection, rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Osun has assumed a new twist with the defection of some former cabinet members of Governor, Rauf Aregbesola into the fold of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Tribune Online investigation revealed.

Findings also indicated that one of the staunch stakeholders, who supported the gubernatorial ambition of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Moshood Adeoti and a stalwart of the party in Osun, Senator Bayo Salami and 11 aggrieved members of State Working Committee (SWC) of the APC have also dumped the ruling party for ADP.

This development followed the recent decampment of Adeoti, who on Monday led his teeming supporters and allies to ADP, where he clinched the governorship ticket of the new party, after resigning his appointment over irreconcilable squabbles and the refusal of his former party, APC, to zone its governorship seat to Osun West Senatorial District. The former SSG hails from Iwo, one of the communities in the west axis of the state.

According to credible sources within the APC, former cabinet members of Aregbesola, who also moved to ADP include his erstwhile Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere and his counterpart, who was in charge of the then Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Wale Bolorunduro.

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Besides, some serving commissioners, who were also said to have concluded plans to move to ADP, but tactically playing along with Aregbesola would soon declare for the ADP. Apart from the aforementioned bigwigs, 27 local government chairman of the APC and a group identified as Forum of 332 Councillors in Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

Confirming his defection to the Tribune Online in Osogbo, Akere said “Yes, we are all in ADP now. Yes, I am there. The majority of the party executives and leaders that are against Famoodun structure all of them are there with us. But, don’t worry by the time we start campaigning next week, people will see mass defection everywhere.”

When asked if dialogue could be explored to resolve the internal crisis Osun APC, he maintained that “we don’t see any sign of any resolution from them and I don’t think is going to be in anybody’s favour. Party chairmen in about 27 local government are also involved in this.”

Efforts made to get the views of Senator Bayo Salami and Dr Wale Bolorunduro were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Calls put through to their cellphones rang out, just as text messages were not replied.

But, when contacted the director of publicity, research and strategy of the APC in Osun, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi in an email forwarded to the Nigerian Tribune said “I cannot say much about those you said decamped from our party. Stories unfold every minute. We will give an appropriate reaction when we see full details of the story.”