Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in Ese-Odo local government, Prince Newton Olomu and four ward chairmen have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governorship candidate of the ZLP and Deputy Governor Hon Agboola Ajayi hails from Ese-Odo.
Others that defected include former Deputy Chairman of ZLP, Engr. Abayomi Adebayo; State ex officio member, Rotimi Bowei; Vice chairman Festus Gbasinghan; Local govt youth leader, Success Digha, Eliphus Ibakedein, Joseph Omomo, Victoria Peretei and Ipiteigha Tam among others.
The defectors were received into the APC by Ondo chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin at a campaign rally of the party in the area.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Adebayo said they left the ZLP to join Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to move the the next level.
Adebayo said it was saddening the deep sea port initiated by the late Olusegun Agagu administration was abandoned by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko for eight years.
Adebayo noted the ZLP defectors were joining the APC for a secured and better future
Adetimehin said the Ondo APC has harvested over 60 percent of ZLP local government executives.
Adetimehin said ZLP local government leaders in Ondo East and Ondo West would collapse their structure and join the APC soon.
Akeredolu said he would pursue the establishment of the deep sea port and actualise the dreams for the economic prosperity of the state.
“When I came and I started pursuing the seaport, my colleague Governors were asking me what my predecessors were doing before. I didn’t lie. I told them that Agagu initiated the dream. It is deep.
“Mimiko abandoned Agagu’s project outright. Look at the University in Okitipupa, Agagu didn’t put it in his home town. Look at the Univeristy, If Mimiko had attended to it, it would be one of best around by now. Why?
“The Government House chapel, we met it at foundation level, I completed it and invited Mimiko to come and do the commissioning. I put his name on it.
“I did that because he was the one that laid the foundation. That’s how government is supposed to work. Government is continuum.
“If Mimiko had continued from where Agagu stopped on the sea port, by now, we would have seen progress.
“The seaport is not something that we can do overnight. I am very sure that with that port, our people can never suffer again.”