A former Ekiti State Governor, Chief Segun Oni has finally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), his political associates have revealed.
Oni was, according to his political associates, forced to join the APGA due to alleged manipulation of the primary in favour of Mr. Bisi Kolawole, a governorship aspirant supported by the state’s former governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.
The associates confirmed the decision of the former governor to dump the PDP at the weekend, citing the roles of Fayose and the National Working Committee, under the leadership of Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
One of his political associates claimed that Oni decided to join APGA because of the widespread belief that the large chunk of Igbo traders and residents would vote for the party.
He said: “It was never the wish of Oni to defect from the PDP, the party he joined in 1998 and under which he became the governor in 1999. He left because of the disgrace allegedly meted out to him by Fayose.
“I can confirm to you that we have left PDP, but we have not made it official and that will be done next week Monday or Tuesday. We are joining APGA.
“We are doing our homework and part of what we intend to do is embarking on home-to-home, door-to-door, market-to-market campaigns to market Oni, who is the most popular candidate today in Ekiti”.
Another political associate, who spoke privately with THISDAY, said the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and now the governor-elect in Anambra, Prof Charles Soludo, is Oni’s longtime friend and that he is expected to buoy his candidacy in this regard.
“Soludo is Oni’s friend and we expect that he will help solidify friendship with the incumbent governor in Anambra, Willie Obiano to campaign for Oni vigorously in Ekiti.
“Let me tell you this, having a state governor campaigning for Oni will give him and supporters as well as the electorate the required confidence to win this election,” he said.
He added that the group was no longer comfortable with the Ill-treatment Oni was subjected to in the PDP, noting that time for him to prove his electoral worth for his former party, is now.
Meanwhile, the Spokesman of Segun Oni Movement, Mr. Adebayo Jackson confirmed this in a telephone chat with journalists on Saturday stated that the decision of Oni and thousands of supporters to leave PDP was taken at stakeholders’ meeting held at Oni’s residence in Ifaki-Ekiti, Ido/ Osi Local Government Area of the state.
He said Oni yielded to pressures from the overwhelming majority of Ekiti people who are desirous of returning him back to the government house under any political party.
He hinted that the former governor would be leaving the PDP with a sizable number of members, adding his resignation from the party is with immediate effect.
He said: “Oni has finally resigned from PDP. All the people of Ekiti have decided that they want Oni on any platform. He had harkened to the calls. In fact, it was the image of Oni that has been promoting the image of PDP in Ekiti State.
“Once he the PDP has decided to kill itself we have to take a bow and leave. Ekiti people will not leave Oni alone to go like that because they cannot see any other person that can deliver what Oni has been doing for them.
“So, it is the voice of the people and not the voice of anybody. As it is now, both PDP and APC will be contesting against the people of Ekiti. And the symbol of the people of Ekiti State is Oni,” Jackson said.
