The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has formally welcomed defecting National Assembly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC in the state.
Speaking at the reception in Osogbo, on Saturday, State Chairman of APC in Osun, Tajudeen Lawal, described the occasion as significant.
He said, “What we are witnessing at this grand reception in our state today is almost unprecedented in the political history of this country, whereby two distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and three honourable members of the House of Representatives would formally defect from the ruling party in the state to the opposition APC party.”
Lawal noted that the defection signalled an imminent change of leadership from the incumbent government in the state to the APC, stressing that the defectors were political heavyweights who would bring their supporters into the APC.
The State Chairman assured the defectors of seamless integration into the party, pledging that fairness and justice would guide the distribution of political opportunities in the party.
He also used the occasion to canvas support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, anchoring his argument on the president’s performance in the past three years.
“As for the endorsement of the re-election of the workaholic and pragmatic President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there cannot be a better time than now in the interest of the continuity of the numerous transformative laudable programmes being witnessed under his Renewed Hope Agenda.”, he said.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, in his remarks, said the occasion marked a defining moment of growth and stability for the party in the state, insisting that the APC would recapture Osun at both the state and federal levels.
The Minister noted that at the federal level, President Tinubu had achieved great milestones for the country and therefore should be given another chance to do more for the nation.
He said, “The difference between rhetoric and results is evident at the federal level under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. When he assumed office, Nigeria’s economy stood at the brink. Bold decisions were required, and bold decisions were made. Today, those reforms are yielding results.”
Oyetola emphasised that the measurable achievements of the president were critical for Nigeria’s rebirth, noting that his re-election in 2027 would help consolidate these gains and secure lasting prosperity.
The defecting National Assembly members included Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East Senatorial District), Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun West Senatorial District), Honourable Omirin Olusanya (Ijesha South Federal Constituency), Honourable Wole Oke (Ijesha North Federal Constituency), and Honourable Taofeek Ajilesoro (Ife Central Federal Constituency).