The defection of Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, a leading All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant ahead of the 2019 general election in Oyo State, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been described as a testament to Governor Seyi Makinde’s attractive style of politics.
A socio-political group in Oyo State, the Oyo Kajola Group (OKG), stated this on Sunday, noting that Tegbe’s defection is a huge gain for the PDP and for lovers of good governance in the state.
The OKG, in a statement by its Media Coordinator, Comrade Adebayo Ayandele, described efforts by groups within Oyo APC and Tegbe’s new party, PDP, to discredit the politician’s defection as self-serving, face-saving and baseless.
According to the group, Tegbe’s defection from the APC and the party’s reaction through proxies is an indication that the crisis-ridden party was hit hard and that the defection has shown that things have fallen apart in the APC in Oyo State.
The group equally warned individuals and groups within the PDP in Oyo state, who appear to be waging an unguided war and acting as scarecrows against Tegbe’s entry into the PDP to desist from such paths and look at the bigger picture.
The statement read: “We in the Oyo Kajola Group welcome Mogaji Olasunkanmi Tegbe to the PDP, the party that has done a good job of rescuing Oyo State from the abyss that his former party, APC consigned it to for eight years.
“We congratulate him for leaving the APC, a sinking ship that Nigerians have abandoned due to the wicked, insensitive and anti-masses tendencies of its leaders.
“Mogaji Tegbe has demonstrated unmatched courage by leaving the divided Oyo APC and its leaders who behave like bandits, hijacking party structures, raping democracy in broad daylight and doing all sorts of desperate things in an attempt to reclaim power in the state.
“Certainly, Governor Makinde’s beautiful style of politics and the unprecedented good governance he has been providing to the state led to Tegbe’s conversion and we are sure that more people will leave the APC to join PDP as 2023 draws near.”
The group called on Tegbe to work hard to bring his entire structure into the PDP with a view to teaching the APC a hard lesson for the treachery it demonstrated against him in 2019, when he, as the most acceptable governorship aspirant, was held down for Adebayo Adelabu, who eventually wasted the party’s ticket.
It also charged the politician to cooperate with Governor Makinde and other PDP chieftains ahead of the 2023 General Election, noting that if, indeed, he (Tegbe) will fly the PDP flag in Oyo South Senatorial District, the party would need to do everything possible to dismantle what is left of Oyo APC’s carcass in the district.
“As the saying goes that revenge is a meal best served cold, we urge Tegbe to rally all his human, financial and other resources and work with Governor Makinde and others to strengthen the Oyo PDP with a view to routing the APC in the 2023 General Elections.
“For the few groups within the APC and PDP, which have been throwing tantrums over Tegbe’s defection, we sympathise with them and pray that they get over their shock soon.
“We also encourage individuals and groups who have been irked by Tegbe’s entry into the PDP to sheathe their swords in the interest of the party, because the politician’s defection will pave the way for more people to join the PDP.
“It is important that PDP members look at the bigger picture and the gains that Tegbe can bring to the PDP, instead of pandering to the sentiments of a few individuals whose ambitions may have affected their disposition to the overall wellbeing of the party.”
