At least seven thousand members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) in Oyo State defected to the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) on friday ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The Governorship flag-bearer of the NNPP Engr Popoola Joshua who received the new members across the 33 local government areas of the State and the party’s leader Adebisi Olopoenyan said the development has further confirmed citizens frustration with the two big parties.
Recall that the New Nigeria People’s Party had elected its state chairman and other members of the executive, to direct the affairs of the party in Oyo State as various political parties intensify their preparations for the 2023 elections.
The NNPP said that the state executives were inaugurated following the congress of the party held in Ibadan where the leaders were elected.
A former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and other prominent politicians had recently adopted the NNPP as the ‘Third Force’ which they intend to use to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress at the centre.
The State party chairman, Adegbola Adesesan, had pledged to lead the party to power in 2023 while calling on members of the leading political parties and others to join the party to rescue the state and reposition it on the path of development.
He said Governor Seyi Makinde had lost the opportunity to be a two-term governor because the party would defeat him and other contestants at the poll.
The chairman said, “Our people in Oyo State are tired of the PDP-led government and the insecurity it brought to the state. It is glaring the party is not prepared, they just packaged an unripe product for Oyo State people in 2019.
“Just imagine, the PDP-led government in the state is borrowing money without anything to show for it. Governor Makinde-led PDP borrowed money for farm settlement nothing has come out from it, they borrowed money to buy transit buses, it is over a year now no benefit. The Light Up Oyo Project is already dead on arrival.
“The PDP in Oyo State is found of associating with touts, Oyo State residents rejected them in 2011. We gave them an opportunity again in 2019 when eight years of the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi ended in disappointment, but here we are; a black sheep will forever be a black sheep.
“Today is the beginning of a better tomorrow. I want Oyo State people to join hands with us to restore our state’s past glory. We have brought the new party, NNPP, for a better life and assurance of betterment of our coming generations.”
