Over 700 PDP members join APC in Ondo

By Boye Oyeyemi –

The Peoples Democratic Party structure in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has collapsed into the All Progressives Congress following the defection of key leaders and members.

The defectors, led by a former PDP chieftain, Dr Mrs Loveline Yemi-Ese, moved to the APC alongside about 600 women, including widows, and 150 other supporters drawn from Ile-Oluji and Okeigbo communities.

Speaking at the reception held at the APC secretariat in Ile-Oluji, a former council chairman, Temidayo Akinsuroju, described Yemi-Ese as a grassroots mobiliser whose political influence had significantly shaped the local political landscape.

He welcomed the new members into the ruling party and urged them to remain loyal while respecting party rules, assuring them of equal rights and benefits without discrimination.

Also addressing the gathering, the APC chairman in the local government, Rufus Adefulure, expressed satisfaction over the increasing influx of members into the party, describing the defection as a major political gain.

Adefulure encouraged the new entrants to return to their wards and intensify mobilisation efforts in support of President Bola Tinubu ahead of future elections, while pledging fairness between old and new members.

In her remarks, Yemi-Ese said her decision to join the APC was driven by the desire to contribute more meaningfully to community development and support her followers across the council area, adding that she believed the party offered a better platform for service.

The event featured the formal presentation of the party’s broom symbol to the defectors, followed by celebrations and a procession around the town attended by political stakeholders, associates and supporters.