A member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Ila State Constituency in Osun State House of Assembly, Clement Akanni, yesterday, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Akanni, while narrating the rationale behind his defection at the palace of Orangun of Ila, said he was forced out of the APC by those he considered as political adversaries, accusing the party of reneging in all its promises to his community.
According to him “Our College of Education used to have 33,000 students, it now has less than 2,000. APC promised to upgrade our institution to university all to no avail.
“Rather than upgrading the institution, the current government, through it’s policies is gradually killing the institution.
“Can you believe that when government wanted to downsize the workforce in the state-owned higher institutions, 73 names were selected from College of Education, Ila, while 38 names were pencilled down for retrenchment from Ilesha College of Education?”
“I vehemently resisted this. I told my colleagues in the House of Assembly that Ilesha College has more staffers than lla, yet has lesser number of staffers that would be retrenched.
“Whenever I tried to positively influence government policies to favour my constituents, some people in APC would say no. Two of my followers were killed through fetish means. I can’t continue with a party full of devilish officials,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Chief Ejemu of Ila, Paul Ogunrinade, demanded upgrade of Ila College of Education to university, urging the PDP flag-bearer, Ademola Adeleke, to pay attention to all the challenges in the community if elected governor.
Meanwhile, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC), Chief Sam Nkire, has joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former member of APC Board of Trustees (BoT) made the announcement in a statement in Umuahia, yesterday.
Nkire explained that he decided to join forces with the PDP both at the state and federal levels ahead of the 2019 general election because he was convinced that Nigerians wanted the party back to serve them better.
He noted that he had no regrets leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the rAPC, and now PDP, adding that it was regrettable to note that the APC had left the country worse than it met it.
Nkire asked all his loyalists, followers and associates who had been asking him for political direction, especially in Abia State, to defect with him, saying, “PDP is now a new, reformed and restructured party ready to serve Nigerians better”.
According to the former national chairman of the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA), the Peoples Democratic Party was the only hope Nigeria has to solve the numerous security, economic and political problems bedevilling the country today.
Nkire, who was until recently the Caucus Leader of the APC in Abia State, admitted that he would miss his brothers, associates and friends who may choose to remain, adding that “brothers will always be brothers no matter what party they belonged.”
He said he was sure that PDP had learnt from its past mistakes and appealed to every Nigerian of voting age who is yet to get a voter’s card to endeavour to get one, “to ensure that we are governed by those we can trust.”
Similarly, the Chairman, Osun Local Government Service Commission, and a chieftain of APC in the state, Elder Peter Babalola, has reportedly resigned his position.
Babalola, who was one of the aspirants that contested APC governorship ticket in which Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola eventually emerged winner, explained in a letter addressed to Governor Rauf Aregbesola that he resigned to pursue other endeavours.