Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Engr Ayodele Asalu has welcome the former factional candidate of the People’s Democratic Party and other former members of the PDP to the APC.
Asalu, in a statement obtained by InsightMedia on Friday, said the PDP has become a personal property of the some individuals, stating that his defection to APC in 2022 was as a result of such treatment.
In the strong worded statement, the Ejigbo-born politician narrated his ordeal in the hands of some members of Adeleke dynasty. He said the treatment meted against him in 2022 is what others are facing now.
His statement reads, “When I left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022, many people thought I took the decision for my selfish ambitions, because I had just lost the Primary election for the House of Representatives seat of Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency.
“It appeared to many people, especially PDP members, that I had become a political nomad, who would shift base at the first sight of inconvenience. What most of the people who condemned my decision then never knew was the terrible experience I had in the hands of the Ede feudal lords who took over the structure of the PDP.
“What I faced then is what many people are facing in the PDP today but are unable to speak out for fear of loss of patronage. What the PDP became since 2022, is a personal annex of a very vicious dynasty that has resolved to enslave all who are loyal to it and outlaw anyone who dares lay claim to any personal dignity.
“What the PDP has become today, is a personal property of the Adeleke dynasty, making it a tool in their hands to mar the political fortunes of anyone whose face they do not like. Those who get any benefits from them have to kiss the dust under their shoes everyday to show loyalty; those who cannot bring themselves down to such levels, become strangers in a party they laboured to build while the Adelekes were away from the party.
“Osun State has not fared better under the feudal lords. Today, you have numerous projects going on in Ede town, while other major towns in the State have nothing. The only project of the Adeleke government in Ejigbo Local Government for example, is the Ejigbo-Ika road that has now been abandoned. Yet, several kilometres of roads have been constructed and are still being constructed in Ede. The nepotism is appalling, but who dares ask questions?
“Political and Civil Service appointments are in the hundreds in Ede, while other major towns look on with empty hands.
“What I faced then, is being served round the PDP today. What I faced then is the same ruthless selfishness that has pushed key political figures like Alh. Shuaib Oyedokun and Omo-Oba Dotun Babayemi out of the PDP today. What I faced then in the hands of the feudal lords is what is preventing Osun State from getting good governance today.
“The PDP today is positioned such that it can only serve the interests of the Adeleke dynasty. This is a reality that every true lover of Osun State must rise against.
“I welcome Alh. Shuaib Oyedokun, Omo-Oba Dotun Babayemi, and thousands of their principled followers into our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Your decision to pitch tent with our party, sirs, like I did two years ago, is clearly borne out of your conviction that the PDP has lost touch with reality and has become a tool in the hands of a few selfish individuals. Your entry into our party gladdens my heart, as I am sure of the vast political capacity that you possess.
“While the PDP and her army of noisy scavengers will attempt to belittle you and the influence you have in Osun’s political landscape, we in the APC appreciate the enormous value you bring to the table and we are sure your entry makes our party even stronger.”
He welcome some individuals from his local government – Ejigbo, who left the PDP with Babayemi, adding that he looks forward to working with them.
“I also welcome Engr. Yinka Jimoh Adigun, a true patriot whose records of service to the PDP at Local, State, and Zonal levels make him deserving of recognition and honour, which unfortunately, the new handlers of the PDP refused to accord him. I salute your doggedness, sir, and I am sure you, and thousands of others who made this decision with you, will not regret your decision.
“I welcome my dear brother, Barr. Faruq Abbas too. I have known him to be a man of deep convictions and I am not surprised that he has decided to rid himself of the show of shame that the PDP and its allies, particularly in Ejigbo Local Government, have today become.
“The task ahead of us has become crystal clear. We must take our dear State back from the current handlers who are only pursuing their selfish political expansionist agenda. Osun State belongs to all of us and we must wrestle her from these people who want to privatize her.”
