The political landscape in Oyo state on Thursday witnessed another major realignment as scores of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan south-west local government area of Oyo state defected to the ruling Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM).
The defectors were received into the APM by the Oyo south senatorial candidate of Allied Peoples’ Movement and lawmaker representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West federal constituency of Oyo state in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development is the latest in a series of defections and political realignments involving members of the APC and other political parties across Oyo State, with the APM increasingly positioning itself as a major platform ahead of the next general elections.
The new members, who were drawn from different political wards in Ibadan South-West, and various bodies and groups , including, artisans, pledged their loyalty to the APM and expressed readiness to work for the growth of the party at all levels.
Speaking at the UMC Primary School, Molete, Ibadan, while receiving the defectors, Hon. Olajide Odidiomo assured them that the party would provide a platform for all members to participate meaningfully in the political process.
He urged the new members to regard their movement to the APM as a political decision aimed at contributing to the development of their communities and Oyo State at large, while calling on them to remain committed to the ideals of the party and contribute their quota to strengthening its structures at the ward and local government levels.
Odidiomo assured the new members that the APM would continue to operate an all-inclusive political platform where members, irrespective of their backgrounds, would have the opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process and pursue their legitimate political aspirations.
He further charged the new entrants to take ownership of the party at the grassroots, stressing that the success of the APM in the 2027 elections would depend largely on the commitment, mobilisation and unity of its members.
The APM lawmaker also appealed to existing members to accommodate the new entrants and work together as one family, saying that the growing strength of the party should be translated into tangible benefits for the people at the grassroots.
The defectors, in their separate remarks, expressed satisfaction with their decision to join the APM, pledging to mobilize their supporters and political networks for the success of the party in Ibadan South-West, Oyo state and Nigeria at large.
They described their movement as a strategic decision and promised to work with the leadership of the APM towards strengthening the party’s grassroots presence ahead of the 2027 elections.
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