PDP jittery of mass defection in Osun, group says

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

Some leaders in the group of Dotun Babayemi have said the Peoples Democratic Party is jittery about their mass movement from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to the group, the fear of defection has propelled the PDP to begin a move to organize a one-year remembrance for the late National Vice Chairman of PDP, South West, Hon Soji Adagunodo.

In a statement jointly signed by some leaders in the Babayemi group, an erstwhile zonal leader of the party, Barrister Ojo Williams, Mr Emmanuel Monyeh, and Prince Adelani Ajanaku, after a meeting to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Adagunodo, and make available to our correspondent on Monday, the group described the one-year remembrance being planned by Governor Ademola Adeleke for late Adagunodo as ‘fake,’ noting that they fought him till his death.

The group recalled that Adagunodo was in its camp before his death, saying that the deceased was fiercely fought by the Adelekes and their supporters till his end last year, even as they refused to participate in any of his burial rites.

The former PDP South West Chairman accused the administration of Governor Adeleke and the state party executive of playing politics with the repose of the deceased.

“At a meeting of his ardent followers held at Osogbo on Monday, we, the victimized by the party because of the defense of the democratic ideals we stood for, met to commemorate the activities organized for him (Adagunodo) last year and to deliberate on programs outlined to immortalize him.

“It’s unfortunate that some of those who pretended to support him became renegades and turncoats for a mess of pottage even before he became cold in his grave and are now hell-bent on destroying all he stood for by acting as agents provocateurs”

“They wondered why the people who derided and denigrated Adagunodo even at death could turn around to claim they were remembering him on the first anniversary of his demise; stressing, that this contradicts logic and it’s a joke that must stop forthwith.

“Adeleke and his people as well the party, did everything to frustrate the late Adagunodo. When he died, they laughed at him to scorn and even danced skeleton on his grave.

“Now, because of the impending mass defection of thousands of Omooba Dotun Babayemi’s and Adagunodo’s supporters, they (Adeleke and the PDP), want to be clever by half by pretending now to be sympathetic to the course of late Adagunodo who they fought till death; they are even planning a fake one-year remembrance.

“They are begging and moving about with money for us not to cross over to APC but it’s already a late call. When they had the opportunity, they were abusing us all over the place,” the group said.