Ahead of the October 8 local government council election in Ogun State, no fewer than 500 members of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state have defected to the Unity Party of Nigeria.
The defectors, in their large number, stormed the UPN Secretariat located at Ijuri/Agbara/Igbesa LCDA in Ogun West Senatorial District of the state pledging their support for the leadership of their new party.
They also vowed to remain steadfast and committed to the party.
The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Agbara unit, Alhaji Adebayo Abija, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said that he was certain of UPN’s victory in the forthcoming Council election, especially with the massive defection of other party members to the UPN.
Abija assured that most of the APC and PDP members defected to the UPN when they discovered the party remained the only peaceful party whose leadership did not engage in power tussle or factionalisation.
He said, “Many of us here today are from one party or the other, including the ruling APC. But we became interested in this united party because it remains the only peaceful political party in Ogun State today without power tussle or factions.”
Abija noted that the new entrants also defected to the party because of the empowerment programme initiated by the national leader of the party, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, to better the lives of the less-privileged in the state.
“We are highly impressed with the four cardinal programmes of the party of free health care system, free education, massive job creation and empowerment of the youths. We are also not unaware of the various empowerment schemes initiated by the national leader of this great Party, who is also the founder of Paseda Legacy Foundation, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, to assist the less privileged in the society.
“We want to thank Otunba Paseda unreservedly for providing a conducive environment for our cross over, but we want to assured you that, come October 8 local government election in this axis, UPN will emerge victorious,” he said.
Receiving the new party members, the Ogun West Senatorial Chairman of the UPN, Chief Kayode Adeogun, lauded the courageous steps of the defectors, saying that the party would continue to heed their yearnings.
Adeogun also told the new members to obtain their membership cards from their respective ward chairmen in order to update their data at the UPN national Secretariat.
Speaking on the telephone with our correspondent, Paseda said that the party’s doors were open for anyone interested in joining.
The UPN chieftain assured the citizens of the state that their resolve for better change and governance would be put to test in the forthcoming local government election.
“I want to once again reiterate to my people and our friends from other parties, Paseda remains all- inclusive. I will relate, partner and work with anybody with unblemished character, regardless as I do not see UPN, APC, PDP, or SDP.
“All I’m seeing right now is my people, no more no less. That is why anyone can come to UPN and take tickets with nomination form and expression of interest form paid for by me. You are free to remain in the party to continue your political life if you so wish so long as you abide by UPN values of people first.
“I always tell my people not to play politics with people’s lives, but engage in constructive criticisms only and no witchhunting, those are my values”, Paseda said.
