The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has received defectors from three opposition parties in Ifedore Local Government Area, with the new entrants pledging to mobilise votes for President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
The defectors, comprising chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), announced their decision at a gathering in Igbara-Oke, describing the move as a major political realignment in the area.
The APC delegation that received them was led by the senator representing Ondo Central, Niyi Adegbonmire, and the member representing the area in the House of Representatives, Festus Akingbaso.
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Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Bayo Adejuwon said the new members were prepared to demonstrate their political strength during the next elections.
He said they were joining the ruling party with a clear commitment to securing victory for Tinubu and all APC candidates in the state.
Adejuwon added that the defectors were not joining the party for political entertainment but were ready to work towards its electoral success.
Another defector, Faloyo, an indigene of Ijare, expressed satisfaction with the decision and promised to deliver votes from his community for the APC.
He specifically pledged that Tinubu and other party candidates would receive support from the community during the January 16 and February 6 elections.
Former Ondo APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, described the defection as a significant boost to the ruling party, claiming that the defectors represented the last batch of PDP members in the ward.
He urged the new members to return to their respective communities and begin mobilisation ahead of the elections.
Adetimehin said the APC needed to demonstrate its strength through votes on January 16, expressing confidence that Tinubu, Adegbonmire and Akingbaso would emerge victorious.
He also described the APC as an inclusive political platform, saying it was a party for everyone, from the grassroots to the top.
An APC leader in Ifedore Local Government, Tobi Ogunleye, said the defection was voluntary, insisting that the new members were not recruited through financial inducements.
He noted that the defectors came from the PDP, ADC and SDP, describing them as influential figures in the opposition structure before their decision to join the ruling party.
Ogunleye also accused some APC members in Ondo State of working against the party's candidates under the platform of a Rainbow Coalition.
He insisted that the gathering represented the authentic APC and warned that anyone working against the party's candidates was undermining Tinubu's transformation agenda.
The APC leader attributed the growing support for the ruling party in the state to the influence of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
He further declared that the defection had weakened opposition parties in Ifedore, describing the new entrants as the backbone of the opposition before their departure.
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