By Dapo Falade
The deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He renounced his membership of the ruling party at Ward 2, Apoi, in Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state.
Ajayi, in a brief two-paragraph letter of resignation dated June 20, 2020, wrote: “I write to tender my resignation as a member of the APC.
“I sincerely appreciate the party for the opportunity to serve, while wishing the party the best.”
The development came a day after he was blocked from the Government House from packing his property, even as there have been mounting speculation of his plans to defect from the APC to the PDP.
Agboola also picked his membership card of the PDP at his ward and he is expected to officially defect to the PDP with nine members of the state House of Assembly on Monday.
Meanwhile the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, described as despicable the harassment of the Ondo State deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, declaring that the police cannot stop the imminent mass defection from the All Progressives Congress (Congress) in the PDP.
A video clip went viral on the social media where the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, was seen trying to stop the Deputy governor from moving out of his office on Saturday evening.
National publicity secretary of the party, Kola Olagbodiyan, in statement, said the APC and the Nigeria Police were fighting a lost battle and noted that nothing can stop the defection of APC loyalists to the PDP across the country.
“Saturday’s despicable attack on Ondo deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, by the APC, using the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, has further spurred Nigerians in their irrevocable determination to abandon the sinking APC and move into the PDP.
“The thoughtless and rude attempt to use the police to stop the deputy governor from leaving the disorganised APC is symptomatic of the last kicks of a degraded and derelict political party that is now clinging on straws and can only resort to use of compromised security agents as face-saving measure.
“The APC is unnerved because Nigerians are no longer ready to stomach the deception and lies of 2015 as well as the impunity, political brigandage and the electoral fraud of 2019.
“This is because the situation in the country in the last five years have left no one in doubt that the APC is an ill wind; a soulless mob; a decrepit ship of vexatious pirates, political vampires and ravenous power mongers, who thrive in lies, deception and treasury looting.
“Its only legacies are economic ruins, institution of poverty, escalated insecurity, confusion, divisiveness, humongous corruption, dissipated reserves and accumulated debts.
“It is therefore a natural national course for democrats in the APC, who have realised that the sinking party is completely irredeemable, to leave the APC in droves with their supporters.
“It is imperative to state that this development is sparking jubilations in every corners and crannies across our country,” Olagbodiyan wrote.
The main opposition political party therefore cautioned the police and other security agencies to note the tide and not allow the APC to use them as pawns to fight what it called an already lost battle against Nigerians.
The party charged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, “to immediately insulate his officers and ranks from politics. He should instantly call the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, to order as his actions are capable of pitching the police against the people and cause a breakdown of law and order.
“Our party reminds IGP Adamu of the inglorious tenure of his predecessor in office, Idris Ibrahim, who allowed himself to be used against the people and how his career ended with ignominy.
“The IGP must note that Nigerians have not forgotten and are no longer ready to accept the kind of atrocities that characterised previous elections under the APC, including the use of police helicopter to assault and chase away voters in the November 16, 2019 Kogi State governorship election.
“Moreover, Nigerians are aware that despite the exposed ignoble roles played by unscrupulous security agents in the Kogi and other elections under the APC, no redressing action has been taken till date by the current hierarchy of the police to reassure the people.
“The PDP therefore calls on the Police IG to immediately rein in his men and be on the side of the people, particularly in the forthcoming Ondo and Edo states governorship elections.”
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