A member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Olanrewaju Olayanju, yesterday decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Olayanju who is representing Emure constituency in the House premised his decision to defect from PDP on cases of division and lack of decorum in his former party.
Addressing a news conference in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, Olanrewaju stated that the leadership PDP in the state betrayed the confidence of the members by not carrying the people along in its activities which according to him has limit his efforts at bettering the lots of his constituents better realised.
The Assembly’s chairman, House Committee on Environment, who spoke alongside the Speaker of the House of assembly, Hon Adeniran Alagbada ,APC State chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso and his Deputy, Hon Sola Elesin said about seven other PDP lawmakers will soon join APC.
He said, “I am not interested in the PDP return ticket and nobody coerced me to join the party where I started my political career but when the party collapsed, l have to move on. I joined APC on my own volition, I was not forced
“When I wanted to start politics, I began with PDP and now that the party is shattered, I have to move to a better party.
“I have reflected deep on the whole situation and I have informed my constituency that my interest and the interest of my people can no longer be achieved in the PDP.
” The party is now in disarray , no leader to rally the party together. The leaders have destroyed the party through naked use of powers. The party is factionalised and some leaders of PDP are calling on members not to vote for their candidates but for the candidates opposing political parties.
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“Also, since governor Kayode Fayemi came on board, he has initiated projects that make people happy. On this strength, I, Hon Olanrewaju Olayanju hereby declare my total loyalty to the APC led government and the party with immediate effect”.
The lawmaker promised to deliver his constituency to APC and ensure success of President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates in the coming elections.
Respinding, the Speaker, Alagbada said the fact that former governor Ayodele Fayose campaigned against the senatorial candidate of the party in the south district, Senator Biodun Olujimi was enough reason for people to leave the PDP.
He said he has no reason to declare Olanrewaju’s seat vacant, saying he has not breached any law to warrant such.
” When I defected to APC even when Fayose was still the governor, my seat was not declared vacant. Once a party can no longer protect your interest, the best one can do is to go to a better party.
“Our colleague has bid the PDP, the land of Egypt bye bye and he will no longer return there”.
Justifying the defection, the State Chairman of the party, Omotoso said cross carpeting is allowed in the legislative arm, saying all he needed for him to justify his action was a proof of division in the former party, PDP.
“As we speak, we have Fayose’s and Olujimi’s faction. The party has not recovered from its internal crisis which started before Fayose left office last year. It is not a provision of the law that there must be a secretariat of the other faction before you can decamp. The party has one party Secretariat but the minds of its members are divided.
“The constitutional provision as to what constitutes a division in a party was ambiguous. It doesn’t mean that a faction of a party must have a Secretariat, because division can come in diverse ways “.
