Ondo ex-PDP governorship aspirant Bosun Arebuwa, supporters defect to APC

A former Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Bosun Arebuwa, has defected to the All Progressives Congress alongside his supporters across the state.

Arebuwa, who contested the PDP governorship primary ahead of the 2024 Ondo State election, formally joined the APC at a defection ceremony held on Friday at the International Culture and Event Centre in Akure, the state capital.

Speaking at the event, Arebuwa said his decision to leave the PDP was influenced by his assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He said he and his supporters were prepared to work with the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to Arebuwa, the group joining the APC comprises supporters from more than 3,000 political units and 203 wards across Ondo State’s 18 local government areas.

“We have left the PDP. We want to join hands with others to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office,” he said.

Arebuwa said his immediate priority would be to deploy his political experience and resources towards supporting Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

He had been one of seven aspirants who contested the PDP’s 2024 governorship primary. Agboola Ajayi won the primary with 264 votes, while Arebuwa secured two votes.

Receiving the defectors on behalf of the Ondo State APC leadership, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, welcomed the group into the party and urged them to return to their respective wards and local government areas to mobilise support for the APC.

Oke described Arebuwa as a politician whose entry would add value to the party’s activities in the state.

The defection comes as political parties and their supporters begin positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections, with defections and realignments continuing across several states.

Arebuwa’s move marks a shift from his long-standing association with the PDP, where he had been active in the party’s political activities before his move to the APC.