Three lawmakers at the Osun State House of Assembly, including the member representing Ilesa West, Tajudeen Famuyide, have defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Action Democratic Party.
This comes barely a month after the immediate past Secretary to the Osun State Government, Moshood Adeoti, resigned and defected to the ADP to pick the party’s governorship ticket.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola is from Ilesa town, although his constituency falls within Ilesa East Constituency, the entire Ilesa is regarded as his constituency, because he is an Ijesa man.
Apart from Famuyide, who the ruling party lost to the ADP, the lawmaker from Ede North, Debo Akanbi and the lawmaker representing Iwo Constituency also defected to the ADP.
Speaking at an event organised in Osogbo on Saturday to receive the defectors, the lawmakers said they were fed up with the alleged nepotism in the ruling party.
The lawmakers said they decided to dump the APC because the party’s primary was allegedly marred by nepotism to pick the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
They said the candidate of the APC was supposed to come from Osun West Senatorial District, which had not produced a governor since 1999.
According to them, the governor picked Oyetola from Iragbiji town in Osun Central, which has occupied the governorship seat for almost 12 years.
Akanbi said, “We know the foundation of the APC in the state and we agreed with Governor Aregbesola to spend eight years in power, not that when he is leaving, he will anoint a candidate.
“We reject nepotism in the party and more supporters of the APC are still coming to ensure the victory of Moshood Adeoti, come September 22.
“We are leaving the APC because of nepotism in the party. We can’t take it anymore. The nepotism is obvious and all the people can see it. The next governor of the state must come from Osun West Senatorial District.”
The defectors were received by the ADP chairman in the state, Mr Toye Akinola, other party executives and the deputy governorship candidate of the party, Prof Adeolu Durotoye.
Meanwhile, the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the APC in Osun State, Kunle Oyatomi said “Their leader is in the ADP and since they have followed their leader to the ADP, we wish them what they wish themselves.
“On the allegation of nepotism, did they get there (House of Assembly) through nepotism? If they have gone now to change their camp, are they following what the constitution says about defections? Is there a sharp division in the Osun APC? But if they follow their leader to their new party, then I wish them luck.”