From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has taken a new twist as party members loyal to former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, have dumped the party and defected to the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
The defection, Daily Sun learnt, could not be unconnected to the preparation of ADP, being touted as a new mega party for the 2019 general elections.
The event which took place at the new party secretariat located inside the GRA, Ibara, Abeokuta, the loyalists in their scores, defected at an expanded stakeholders meeting of ADP held on Tuesday.
A 72-member pro tem state executive committee of the party was, however, unveiled with a former Commissioner for Housing in the state, Chief Wale Egunleti, emerging as chairman, while a former Director of Owena River Basin Development Authority, Mr Femi Sowunmi, emerging as the acting state secretary.
The duo, our correspondent further gathered, are close political associates of Bankole, who is being touted to join the race for the governorship seat in the state in 2019.
The Ogun State chapter of the PDP, it will be recalled, had been enmeshed in factional crisis over the years coupled with the leadership tussle rocking the party at the national level.
Meanwhile, in a press statement issued on Wednesday, the ADP State Publicity Secretary, Sunday Adeleye, confirmed the expanded stakeholders meeting where the 72-member protem executive was inaugurated.
He urged people in the state to embrace the new party, which according to him, was poised to deliver good governance, promote transparency and abolish all sort of impunity in governance.
“The state pro tem Committee as unveiled will midwife the activities of the party in Ogun State pending an approved congress and had been charged with the responsibility of harmonising its members with interested groups, associations and reputable party leaders into protem executives at the polling booths, wards and local governments across the state.
“The Action Democratic Party (ADP), a mega political party having its ideology based on party supremacy, democratic empowerment of the young people and an all-inclusive people driven government is out to re-engineer the various sector of government and provide viable solution to the anomalies created by the successive administration in Nigeria,” Adeleye submitted.