Bankole’s loyalists dump PDP for ADP in Ogun State

• Aregbesola berates opposition in Osun
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has taken a new dimension as some of the party’s members who are loyal to former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, have defected to the Action Democratic Party (ADP).

This is coming as the Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola berated the opposition for lacking the capacity to take over political control of his state.

The defection of Bankole’s loyalists took place yesterday at the new party secretariat located at the GRA, Ibara, Abeokuta, during the extended stakeholders’ meeting of the party.

A 72-member protem state executive committee of the party was unveiled with a former Commissioner for Housing in the state, Chief Wale Egunleti, emerging as Chairman, while a former Director of Owena River Basin Development Authority, Femi Sowunmi, emerged as the Acting State Secretary.

The duo is close political associates of Bankole, who is being touted to join the race for the governorship seat in the state in 2019.

The Ogun state chapter of the PDP has been enmeshed in factional crisis over the years coupled with the leadership tussle rocking the party at the national level.

Meanwhile, in a press statement issued yesterday, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Sunday Adeleye urged people in the state to embrace the new party, which according to him, was poised to deliver good governance, promote transparency and abolish all sorts of impunity in governance.

“The State Protem Committee as unveiled will midwife the activities of the party in Ogun State pending an approved congress. It has been charged with the responsibility of harmonising its members with interested groups, associations and reputable party leaders.

“The ADP, a mega political party having its ideology based on party supremacy, democratic empowerment of the young people and an all-inclusive people driven government is out to re-engineer the various sector of government and provide viable solution to the anomalies created by the successive administration in Nigeria.”

Aregbesola who said his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains the only credible party to beat in the governorship election holding next year in the state added that his confidence in the succession game plan of the party was informed by the party’s cohesion, achievements by his administration and disarray in the main opposition PDP.

He spoke during a public participation programme tagged ‘’Ogbeni Till Daybreak’’ where he fielded questions from people of the state.

Aregbesola told his audience the major key to the continuation of the milestone developmental programmes and projects of his administration
is for the people of the state to identify and vote the right candidate to succeed him in 2018.

He said the APC in Osun would make sure that whoever is to fly the flag of the party in the governorship election is a person that has in-depth understanding of the administration’s six-point integral action plans philosophy.

According to the governor, it is a candidate with the grasp of the policies of his administration that is best suited for the job and will continue the ongoing programmes.

“When it comes to who will succeed me I always pray to God to provide someone that would be better than me,” Aregbesola told the huge crowd that gathered at the WOCDIF Event Centre, Ring Road Osogbo where the event held.

The governor also reiterated his vow to the gathering that he would not leave any project uncompleted before the expiration of his tenure as he commended the entire workforce of the state for their understanding, resilience and cooperation in the face of the current hard times arising from economic crisis.

According to him, the inability of his government to pay full salaries was as a result of negative financial pull and not because government is wicked.

His words, “Firstly, I salute the perseverance, patience, commitment, understanding and unalloyed support given by our workers especially at tough times. As we all know, the issue of salary has become ubiquitous, as many couldn’t pay salaries of their workforce. We couldn’t pay not because we are wicked, but because we are financially challenged.

“We have been rewarding workers based on their performance, diligence, merit and dedication to duties. We have been promoting workers based
on their resilience and commitment. We have been providing a good leadership to Osun workers on their promotion. The state has been doing everything possible to support workers and prioritise their welfare.”