A leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo, Yusuf Abdulateef, who recently dumped the party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he decided to dump the party because of the prevailing hardship under the ruling party.
Abdulateef disclosed that the leadership of APC and the state governor have been trying to lure him back to APC but said the mind of his followers were made to leave the party, maintained that APC policies were anti-people oriented.
He expressed the dissatisfaction of the agrarian community of Odigbo over the insensitivity of the APC-led administration to the people following the sack of the farmers from their farmlands which was sold by the government.
Speaking to journalists in Akure at the weekend, Abdulateef said, “I want to thank His Excellency, Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for calling me and which I honoured.
“On meeting with the governor, he asked me if it’s true that I left APC, and I answered in the affirmative. I told him that I took the decision due to what is happening in the land, particularly the hardship. People are hungry and lamenting that the APC government brought nothing but pain to them.
“Farmers in Ore, Odigbo Local Government, are crying that their land has been destroyed and taken away from them. My followers, which are many, have been telling me that they can no longer bear the agony of the APC, and they appealed to me to move.
“I asked them where we should go; they told me that we should move to the PDP, and that made us defect to the PDP last Saturday with over 12,000 of my followers.
“Even those in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo, Irele, Ilaje, and Okitipupa have been calling me that they are also ready to defect.
“I want to appreciate Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for calling me, but I want to let him know that I’m now in the PDP.” Although we have many political parties, our incoming governor, Agboola Ajayi, is a truthful and humble man. When he was the deputy governor, he performed excellently well with party leaders and traditional rulers; Muslims and Christians are comfortable.”
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