Ogunleye was a chieftain of the APC.
A former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Rafiu Ogunleye, on Tuesday, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with thousands of his political loyalists.
Mr. Ogunleye was the deputy governor in the Olusegun Osoba administration.
Mr. Ogunleye, a former leader of the defunct All Progress Congress, APC, made the public decampment at the PDP organised stakeholders/unity rally held at the party’s headquarters at Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta.
He was accompanied to the rally by his wife and thousands of his supporters, who came with various banners expressing their readiness to work round the clock for the success of the PDP at the 2015 general elections.
The former number two citizen of the state, in his crossover speech, explained that his decision to join PDP followed some unfavourable events he witnessed in APC. He described the PDP as a very progressive and truly democratic.
He emphasised that, the “winner take all” attitude of the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, was a major factor that led to his dumping of the APC. He lamented that his group, Imole, which contributed to the party’s success in the last polls was abandoned by the Amosun-led government.
In a similar development, the Ogun State Chairman of the PDP, Dayo Bayo, while addressing the large crowd, said. “The question is why must we continue to leave in hardship in the mist of plenty. APC government should give succour to the people of the state or accept the fact that they have failed the electorates and relinquish power to the peoples’ friendly party.”
In his own speech, the Chairman, South-West PDP Organisation and Mobilisation Committee, Buruji Kashamu, advised public office holders not to play to the gallery.
“If they truly love our country and have its interest at heart. They must learn how to make genuine and constructive criticisms and offer advice without necessarily playing to the gallery. On the contrary, if they think that they have better ideas on how to do things, they should either chip it in or wait till the general elections in 2015 so they can sell their ideas to the electorate and get their mandate.”
Dignitaries from outside the state at the event included Ibrahim Mantu (former Deputy Senate President), Wale Oladipo (National Secretary, PDP), and Isola Filani (South-West Chairman PDP).
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