Ex-Oyo deputy governor, other political heavyweights defect to PDP

By OLANIYAN KAYODE

Former Oyo State deputy governor, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja alongside 2019 gubernatorial aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Engineer Remi Oseni on Thursday defected to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Arapaja who is Nigeria’s former ambassador to Jordan made this known on Tuesday, after closed doors meeting with the Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde and former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, Arapaja revealed that he’s happy to be back to where he belongs, adding that it is like returning home to support the present administration in Oyo State.

He said, “it is like returning home, and that is exactly where we belong. We just believe that we need to work together with the present administration under Engineer Seyi Makinde and move the state forward.”

Other stakeholders who followed Arapaja to the PDP are former Oyo State House of Assembly Minority Leader, Mr Akeem Ademola Ige; former Chairman, Ibadan North East Local Government, Mr Olugbenga Adewusi Arole; Abiodun Ekolo, Senator Gbenga Babalola, Honourable Fatai Adeshina among others.

In a press release he personally signed, Oseni said his return to PDP is indeed homecoming and it was a decision taken after a lot of consultation and deliberations with major stakeholders both at the grassroots and indeed among his political associates.

Oseni expressed his commitment and that of his followers to the process of rebuilding PDP to become a formidable and virile political party. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy of Nigerian Tribune)