More than 1,000 members of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), ending what they described as years of loyalty to Governor Seyi Makinde.
The defectors, led by Hon. Mustapha Kazeem, popularly known as “Oba Oluyole”, formally joined the APC at an event held on Friday at the party’s state secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
They were received by the APC State Chairman and former deputy governor of Oyo State, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, alongside members of the party’s State Executive Committee.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Mustapha accused Governor Makinde of failing to appreciate loyalty, good human relations and sacrifice, describing the governor as “selfish and clueless.”
He alleged that some of those empowered by the governor had also victimised members of the group in Oluyole Local Government Area for more than seven years.
According to him, the alleged treatment of party loyalists made it impossible for the group to continue supporting the governor.
“It came to a point that we could not pretend again and this made us to see the light in the progressive fold,” Mustapha said.
He described the APC as the political party “worth its name”, while alleging that the APM had become a private political estate of Governor Makinde.
“APM is a Gov. Makinde’s private estate and we cannot be part of it again. To this end, we are no longer interested in deceit and propaganda which gave Gov. Makinde an unmerited mandate to rule us. We say enough is enough,” he said.
The APC Chairman in Oluyole Local Government Area, Prince Dotun Oladipupo, subsequently presented the defectors to Adeyemo.
Adeyemo formally welcomed them into the APC and handed them brooms, symbolising their admission into the party.
The APC chairman urged the new members to put the past behind them and remain committed to the party’s project, which he said offered them “Renewed Hope.”
Those present at the defection ceremony included the APC State Secretary, Hon. Fatai Adesina; State Financial Secretary, Hon. Tunde Elegbede; Dr Felicia Opatunde; Olawale Sadare; Comrade Olalekan Oladejo; Alhaji Lateef Akinsanya; APC candidate for Oluyole Federal Constituency in the 2027 general elections, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe; and the party’s candidate for Oluyole State Constituency, Hon. Hakeem Lawal, among others.
