Members and leaders of some major political parties in Ondo State have defected to the Labour Party a few weeks before the general election.
The defectors are from the state’s Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency and are members of the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, and Social Democratic Party.
The gathering was held in Isua Akoko, the state’s Akoko South-East Local Government Area headquarters, and the defectors also vowed their support for Mr. Peter Obi, the LP’s presidential candidate.
Stephen Adeyeri, a leader of the defectors and a former candidate for the APC’s House of Representatives, claimed that Obi’s impeccable track record and his comprehensive manifesto, which offered solutions to a wide range of national problems, inspired him and his supporters to join the Labour Party and publicly declare their unwavering support for the presidential candidate.
Adeyeri, who projected a resounding victory for Obi, claimed that Nigerians were tired of the country’s two major political parties (the PDP and the APC), both of which he claimed had failed miserably in managing the country’s affairs. He emphasized that the LP was the only option that was better.
He said, “Obi is the candidate to beat because he has proven to be competent among other candidates. His records, while he held sway in Anambra is in the public domain, he didn’t get all of that by subterfuge but by the dint of hard work.
“I’m here to sell the candidacy of Obi to my supporters, and I told them the reason why he must be elected, particularly his plans to move the country from consumption to the state of production.”
He contends that the country needs a capable leader to turn around its fortunes. He emphasized that if Peter Obi were elected president of the nation, the numerous problems affecting inhabitants, such as fuel scarcity, a lack of electricity, hunger, and a host of others, would soon be a thing of the past.
Adeyeri noted that it would amount to “absurdity if those who weaponised poverty on innocent residents have their ways again”, and he urged the supporters to vote all the candidates of the party (Labour Party) in the forthcoming general election.
The LP’s state secretary earlier encouraged the APC, PDP, and SDP defectors to vigorously campaign for the party in all corners of the state as he welcomed them into the party. His advice was given by Mr. Agabje Abiodun.
He claimed that the Labour Party must be chosen based on historical performance because the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, did a commendable job leading the sunshine state from 2009 to 2014.
He said, “Labour Party is the only fast growing party in Nigeria; we can see how people are trooping to join the Obi’s movement. When Mimiko was governor, can you compare his performance with that of the present administration that has failed to meet the expectations of the people?
“People are tired of the present situation. Adeyeri has said it all, residents are suffering, no fuel, steep price of food items among others are bedevilling everybody, even the APC members are lamenting the ostentatious hardship.”
