2027: Fagbenro-Bibire, APM Leaders, Receive Defectors from ADC, APC into APM in Apata, Call for Continuity

The Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Security Matters, Hon. Abayomi Fagbenro, popularly known as Bibire, has received members of the Oju Inu Youth Movement from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) at Adifase, Apata, Ibadan.

The defectors, who are from Ibadan Southwest and Ido Local Government Areas, were formally received at the defection ceremony by Bibire, Hon. Ademola Ige, Hon. Kazeem Bolarinwa, and other party leaders.

Congratulating the new members, Bibire said they had taken a bold step for which their children and future generations would be grateful.

He explained that the need to vote for APM candidates across all levels would be to consolidate the gains recorded under Governor Seyi Makinde, sustain the progress made so far, and prevent the state from going back to square one.

The Deputy Chairman of the Security and Traffic Committee of the APM Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council, therefore urged the defectors and everyone present to return to their respective communities, spread the good news of APM, and mobilize voters to support the party and its candidates at the polls.

He said that delivering their respective polling units would serve as a clear test of their loyalty to the party and its candidates.

In his remarks, Hon. Kazeem Bolarinwa, Youth Coordinator of the APM Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council, lauded Governor Makinde for the substantial progress recorded in road construction, education, healthcare, security, and the welfare of workers

He referenced the construction and rehabilitation of major roads, the recruitment of more than 14,000 teaching and non-teaching staff, the upgrade of primary healthcare centres, and the expansion of security operations as some of the projects and programmes under the administration.

Bolarinwa also commended the Governor for the prompt payment of workers’ salaries and other efforts to improve the welfare of civil servants.

He declared that no previous governor in the history of Oyo State had achieved as much as Makinde, adding that his record in the state had fuelled calls from Nigerians for him to replicate his achievements across the country.

He, however, stressed that the people of Oyo State must ensure victory for Governor Makinde in his home state as the first step towards advancing his presidential ambition.

Bolarinwa added by urging everyone to throw their consequential weight behind the continuity agenda and vote for Makinde, Bimbo Adekanmbi, and all APM candidates in the forthcoming elections.

He said Makinde had settled for Adekanmbi as the governorship candidate of the party because Oyo State needs a leader who can consolidate the gains of the present administration, preserve the existing development structure, and resist pressure to sacrifice the collective interest of the state for the selfish demands of a few.

He therefore described Adekanmbi as the candidate with the capacity to sustain the direction of governance in Oyo State and called on party members to mobilize support for his candidacy.

He also applauded Bibire for giving the party a strong foothold at the grassroots, noting that the massive programme he organized recently was a clear indication of his capacity to keep the party’s flag flying, shore up its grassroots strength, and ensure that its political roots remain firmly planted among the people.

Also speaking, Hon. Ademola Ige said Governor Makinde had performed satisfactorily and urged the people to support his political aspirations while backing Adekanmbi in the governorship race.

Ige assured the defectors that they would enjoy the same rights and benefits as existing party members, adding that Governor Makinde does not discriminate against people who join his political fold.

The party leaders also criticized politicians who had left the Governor’s political fold, with some describing them as inconsequential few whose personal interests stand against the progress of the state and the overall welfare of the people of Oyo State.

They expressed confidence that the people of Oyo State would reject anyone whose actions run contrary to the interests of the state and consign such persons to the dustbin of political irrelevance.

Speaking with Polity Reporters, the President of the Oju Inu Youth Movement, Tomiwa Alli, said the group had taken time to assess the political situation in the state and examine the achievements of the Makinde administration before deciding to join APM.

Alli said the group believed that the work already done in Oyo State deserved continuity and that a change in direction will definitely reverse some of the progress recorded.

He explained that the movement has members across Ibadan Southwest and Ido Local Government Areas and that its decision to join APM was based on its support for the continuity agenda.

Some of the defectors also said they were dissatisfied with the direction of their former parties and believed that the parties had failed to present convincing plans for the development of Oyo State.

They said they had studied Adekanmbi and concluded that he is their preferred choice among the governorship aspirants, adding that their political direction would now be APM from top to bottom.

A major highlight of the gathering was the burning of caps belonging to the former parties of the defectors alongside APC brooms, as a symbolic declaration of their rejection of their former political affiliations and their decision to join APM.

The gathering ended with Bibire, Ige, Bolarinwa and other party leaders leading a walk from Adifase through different parts of Apata to meet residents and canvass support for APM.

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