Members and supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti state.
The SDP members, who were followers and supporters of the former governor of the state and the party’s candidate in the last election, Chief Segun Oni, joined the PDP from all thirteen wards in Ado local government area.
The new PDP members, under the leadership of the former chairman of the party in Ado, Yinka Olomofe, and Fatai Adeyemo, were received into the party on Monday by the state party leaders, including the publicity secretary, Chief Olalekan Amerijoye, and the southwest zonal publicity secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, among others.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Olomofe said that they joined the SDP before the 2022 governorship election due to the handling of the party affairs, especially the party primaries.
He explained that they were happy to return to the party and promised to contribute their quota towards the repositioning of the PDP for success in future elections.
Olomofe announced that the SDP structures in the entire local government area have collapsed with their decision to join the party in the state.
He solicited the support of the party leadership to grant all the new members a waiver to be able to enjoy the rights and privileges as PDP members.
Receiving the new members, the party caretaker chairman, Sodiq Obanoyen, represented by the spokesman Amerijoye, commended the former SDP members for their decision to rejoin the PDP instead of the ruling party.
While lamenting the challenges confronting the party in the state, he assured the new members that stakeholders and leaders are doing everything possible to rescue the party and make it acceptable to the people.
Amerijoye, who stated that only the party chairman could grant a waiver to the new members in line with the party constitution, added that the leadership would do the needful in the interest of the party.
Speaking, the zonal PDP spokesman, Atofarati, sympathized with the new members over the events leading to their defection from the party last year, assuring them that the national headquarters would be happy to approve their rejoining of the PDP.
He urged them to remain dedicated to the progress of the PDP in Ekiti and be ready to participate in the forthcoming congresses of the party scheduled for March next year.
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