Thousands of political leaders and their members in the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress from the 33 local government areas of Oyo State were on Tuesday in Ibadan received into the Accord party.
The defecting politicians were received into Accord by a former Oyo State Governor and national leader of the party, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja.
At the unprecedentedly-crowded programme in which the ancient Mapo Hall premises and all adjoining major streets were packed full with party loyalists, Ladoja formally welcomed the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District and former Action Congress of Nigeria gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Olufemi Lanlehin, into the Accord party.
In attendance were many former aides of Ladoja, including council chairmen, commissioners, former senator, party executives, as well as serving lawmakers, students association, Hausa community leaders and grassroots supporters, among others.
In his address to the mammoth crowd of supporters, an elated Ladoja, who noted that the gathering was not for campaign, said: “Our party is no longer an Ibadan party as some people said in 2011.
“It has transcended to all the zones of Oyo.
“Our party has become a very big ‘Araba’ tree.
“Oke Ogun, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso and Oyo people have challenged us and so we must wax much stronger.
“All those who had joined the party in 2010 and those joining now have the same opportunities.
“Whatever position they want to contest for, they are free to do so.”
Senator Ladoja told the gathering that up till the time of the reception, he was yet to receive his permanent voter card, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission had however assured him that eligible voters in the state would be given the PVC.
His words: “Concerning the permanent voter cards and continuous registration exercise, up till now, in my ward 10, Ibadan North, I have not been issued my own permanent voter card.
“I believe that INEC will correct all the inadequacies that have been witnessed in the last one week during the permanent voter card registration exercise.
“If they fail to do so, I assure you I will be the one to lead protest to the INEC office.
“They cannot deprive us of our franchise to elect our representatives.”
Ladoja said that the administration of the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, elected on the platform of the APC, did not have the quality of appreciation, reason many of the defectors decided to move over to Accord.
He said: “Like the chairman of our party has said, by God’s grace in May 2015, Ladoja will be elected as governor.
“Four months after, we shall conduct local government election.
“If the APC government is confident of itself, let them go and conduct local government election and see if they will win.
“Our party is that of peace.
“We don’t have hooligans amongst us.
“We are friends of the police who will at all times protect us against hoodlums and thugs.
“Please go and get your cards and get qualified to vote for Accord in 2015.”
Speaking, Lanlehin described Ladoja as “senior senator” and potential Olubadan of Ibadanland, who had demonstrated immeasurable leadership qualities, which made him and many others to follow him.
He said: “Two things brought me here: One, the Accord party; and two, Senator Ladoja.
“I had been in another party and when we weighed the two parties with their leaders, we have seen the difference.
“Our party is going to elect those to be in the various legislative Houses by 2015.
“By May 29, 2015 at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, formerly Liberty Stadium, Oke Ado, we shall all be there to celebrate our governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, as the Oyo State governor.
“I will stand beside him to sing the National Anthem by the grace of God.”
On the effect of urban renewal policy of Ajimobi’s administration wherein shops of many street traders were demolished and houses along the expanded roads were demolished, Lanlehin said he told the Ajimobi administration that it should not destroy people’s houses and shops, “but they did not listen.
“They demolished poor people’s property without giving them compensation.
“The result is what we have seen now.”
Many other dignitaries graced the occasion.
Among them were the state Accord Chairman, Basiru Lawal; Hon Abraham Adeolu Adeleke, former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly; Dr. Nureni Adeniran, former PDP Education Commissioner and now Accord Publicity Secretary; former Senator Gbenga Babalola; Chief Lukman Bisi Ilaka, the Ladilu of Oyo; Bayo Lawal, former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General; Hon. Akin Onigbinde, a former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly; Prince Lanre Ogundipe; a former president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists; Alhaji Lanre Latinwo, a former Chief Press Secretary to Ladoja, popularly known as Lambash; and Hon. Abiola Ashafa, member of the House representatives.
Leaders of those that defected to Accord included Asiwaju Yemi Aderibigbe (APC, Akinyele), Alhaji Semiu Alao-Arisekola, Dr. Ayeni (APC Ibadan North), Hon Kemi Adeyemi (APC Oluyole), Hon. Ademola Ojo (former ALGON Chairman in Adebayo Alao-Akala’s administration, popularly known as Ijaya), Dr. Fola Akinosun, Prince Kabiru Gbadegesin (PDP, Oyo), Kola Raji (APC, Oyo), Chief Musibau Amuda (PDP, Oyo), Kazim Kolawole Raji (APC, Mogaji John Babatunde Soares (a lawyer), Chief Odeyemi Itesiwaju, Kazim Aderibigbe (Oluyole), Hon. Olayinka Omikunle (PDP), Hon Haolat Olasunkanmi (PDP) and Chief Akeem Adekunle (National President, Music Promoters Association of Nigeria (MUPAN), Woman Leader, Egbeda), among others.
Many of the dignitaries that defected from the APC and PDP came from across the local government areas of Oyo State including Atisbo, Kajola, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Iwajowa, Irepo, Olorunsogo, Oorelope, Saki East, Saki West, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, Surulere, Oriire, Ido, Ibarapa North, Ibarapa South East, Ibadan North West, Ibadan North East, Ibadan South West, Ogo Oluwa, Oyo East, Oyo West, Atiba, Afijio, Akinyele, Lagelu, Ona Ara, Oluyole, and Egbeda local government.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee of the rally, Barrister Bayo Lawal, assured party members of Accord’s winning the 2015 election, adding that there was no hooliganism in the party and that the mammoth crowd of loyalists rally round the party all across the state.
One of the sons of the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Semiu Alao-Arisekola, who also defected from the APC, said: “It is the broom of the APC that we are going to use to sweep them away.
“Accord party is the party to beat in Oyo State.
“Vote Senator Ladoja for governor in 2015.”
The Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. O. Olaniyan, popularly known as Akoro, implored all to campaign for Ladoja and the Accord party.
Olaniyan called on teachers to have a rethink because it was during Ladoja’s administration that they really enjoyed.
Representative of the Igbo community also spoke announcing support for the Accord party.
Similarly, the National Association of Nigerian Students pledged its support for the Accord.
Former Senator Gbenga Babalola of Oyo North during Alao-Akala’s administration, solidarized with his colleague and brother, Lanlehin, saying that the Accord party would take over government from Ajimobi’s APC.
Hon. Abraham Adeleke, the Speaker loyal to Ladoja during his impeachment travails, said: “We did not come here to campaign, but to receive leaders from the PDP and APC with their members who are defecting to our party.
“For any governor not to have a running mate in the state but using a Lebanese as running mate is unacceptable.
“Tell APC to show their senator in Oyo State.
“Lanlehin, who has left the APC, has come to Accord and it is in this party that he will emerge again as senator for the Oyo South Senatorial District.”
Basiru Lawal, the Accord party Chairman, said that APC had disappointed the people of the state and so Accord was ready to dislodge it in 2015.
Mohammedan said he was part of those that voted Ajimobi, “but he didn’t develop us. We are tired of him and so we will vote him out”.
A former house of Assembly from the Oke Ogun zone, Hon. A Agbarapo, emphatically declared that Ajimobi’s government did not do anything tangible for the Oke Ogun people and that Accord would vote the administration out.
Similarly, the former ALGON Chairman, Ojo, said: “In 2011, the kind of crowd we had for the presidential rally was not up to this being witnessed today.
“Since after Governor Ladoja’s administration, we have not witnessed any tangible development in the whole seven Ibarapa regions.
“Accord is going to do it.”
Dr. Folaranmi Akinosun, popularly known as Solution, from Ibadan told the crowd: “We are poor people like you and so we understand where the shoe is pinching you.
“We are not going to let you suffer.”
Hon. Yemi Aderibigbe also said: “Accord has become the household name and we are going to chase Ajimobi away.”
Prince Kabiru Gbadegesin from Oyo town also gave the assurance that many loyalists from the Oyo local government areas were in support of Accord and were ready to see the end of Ajimobi’s administration in 2015.
Leader of the Accord within the Hausa community in Oyo State, Saidi Mohammed, also lauded Ladoja, saying that Accord should continue to move forward.
“Accord mukeso, Ladoja mukeso,” Mohammed sang.
Ladoja later presented the Accord flags to leaders of the party in all the local governments that defected.
Giving it to Gbenga Babalola, Ladoja said: “Gbenga is my in-law and younger brother.
“He has nowhere to go but to be with us in Accord.
“He is a senator that is worth it.”