Membership of the Zenith Labour Party in Ondo state has swelled following the defection of chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Among the defectors was a former Chief of Staff to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Dr Kola Ademujimi and Chief Bepie Akintunde.
They defected to the ZLP at Idanre Local Government area.
Dr Ademujimi said they left the PDP over the primary that produced Eyitayo Jegede.
Ademujimi said the ranks of the PDP were being depleted on a daily basis.
He said Ondo Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi, was forced to leave the PDP because of the hostility displayed to him by members of the party.
The former Chief of Staff said he left PDP to help the Deputy Governor realise his ambition of governing the state
His words: “People are defecting from APC, PDP and others ever since the deputy governor picked the governorship ticket of ZLP.
“Agboola Ajayi is out to win this election. Ajayi’s coming to join PDP was an advantage to PDP but they lost the opportunity. They attacked some of our members because of the Deputy Governor.
Akintade said: “We went to APC with former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki but we left and joined the deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi when he defected to PDP.”
Akintade, who was former Senior Special Assistant (Direct Labour Agency) to Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led administration, said they were treated like unwanted guests in the PDP.
Speaking on chances of Ajayi and his running-mate Engr. Gboye Adegbenro at the poll, Akintade said Idanre Local Government Area would determine who wins the October 10 governorship election.
Akintade said: “Only two people are contesting. Akeredolu who is running a government for his family by his family is contesting with Agboola Ajayi.
“It is not yet time for the central, so Jegede is not contesting. The way PDP is treating people from Idanre, PDP cannot win any election here.
“We chose Agboola because whenever he held the fort as acting governor, he paid staff salaries on 24th, 25th day of the month.
“He knows how to help the downtrodden. He can do better than Akeredolu.
“We left APC because since we had been there, we did not gain anything from them. So we have to defect to ZLP and ZLP will win the election.”
Leader of ZLP in Idanre, Dr Ayewamide Olaiya, who received the defectors, urged all party members to go home and enlighten the people on the need to vote for ZLP candidate in the election.
Olaiya said: “We have been working with them (defectors), we will deliver Idanre to ZLP. I still received over 50 from PDP today and over 100 from APC yesterday.”
The running-mate of Ajayi, Gboye Adegbenro, promised they would not disappoint the people.
He stated that all the people-oriented programmes executed by Mimiko’s administration would be resuscitated and new ones added.
Adegbenro lamented that programmes such as free baby delivery, lighting the streets in Akure have been jettisoned by Governor Akeredolu-led administration.
He said there would be a downward review of tuition fees in the state-owned tertiary institutions.