Community leaders describe purported defection as political fabrication, reaffirm support for Tinubu, Abiodun and Yayi
ILOBI-ERINJA, OGUN STATE — The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ilobi-Erinja Ward, Ogun State, in collaboration with the Ilobi-Erinja Development Association, has vehemently denied claims that members of the party in the community have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other political party.
The two groups, in a joint statement, described the purported defection announcement as a political fabrication and a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the political position of the community.
They maintained that no known member of the APC in Ilobi-Erinja Ward had defected to the PDP, insisting that the community remained firmly aligned with the ruling party at both the state and federal levels.
The statement, signed by community stakeholders on behalf of the Ilobi-Erinja Development Association and the APC ward leadership, expressed displeasure over what they described as a misleading portrayal of the community's political identity.
According to the groups, the announcement of the purported defection did not reflect the position of the APC leadership or the wider Ilobi-Erinja community.
They further argued that the declaration was made at a location far removed from the ward, questioning its credibility as evidence of a genuine political realignment within the community.
The statement also challenged the involvement of one Baba Tunde Akinlade, whom the signatories said was neither a member of the APC in Ilobi-Erinja Ward nor known to the community.
The groups insisted that his purported declaration could not reasonably be presented as evidence that APC members from the ward had abandoned the party.
They consequently called on the PDP and the general public to disregard the announcement, describing it as an attempt to manufacture a political narrative without the backing of the community's recognised party leadership.
APC Cites Electoral Support, Development Projects
Beyond disputing the defection claim, the APC ward leadership and the development association cited the community's previous electoral support for the party and what they described as significant development interventions as reasons for maintaining their political alignment.
According to the statement, Ilobi-Erinja delivered an overwhelming, near-total vote for the APC in the last election, adding that the community's political position had not changed.
The groups listed several infrastructure and development projects they said had benefited the area, including road construction along the Oke-Erinja and Erinja–Ilobi corridors, the ongoing Ilobi–Eredo Road project, electricity infrastructure and transformer interventions, street lighting, educational facilities and the Ilobi Farmers' Market.
They said the projects had contributed to infrastructure development, improved electricity access, educational opportunities and economic activities within the community.
The signatories maintained that their support for the APC was not based on political inducements but on their assessment of the party's leadership and the need for sustained development in Ilobi-Erinja and the wider Yewa South area.
They argued that the community's political identity and position should not be determined by declarations made by individuals whose claims, according to them, had not been endorsed by the recognised leadership of the ward.
Groups Challenge PDP Over Alleged Defection
In a strongly worded section of the statement, the APC ward leadership and the development association challenged the PDP to investigate the circumstances surrounding the purported defection announcement.
They suggested that if the opposition party had relied on the declaration to conclude that it had secured the support of Ilobi-Erinja, it should hold accountable anyone responsible for presenting what the groups described as false information.
The statement also questioned whether money had been paid to organise or publicise the purported defection, urging the PDP to recover any funds allegedly spent on what it described as a fraudulent political claim.
However, the groups did not provide evidence of any financial transaction in the statement.
They warned that the alleged misrepresentation of the community's identity could not confer political legitimacy on a claim that the recognised APC ward leadership and community association had rejected.
The statement added that propaganda or political manoeuvring could not change the position of the community or create the impression that its members had collectively abandoned the APC.
Reaffirm Support for Tinubu, Abiodun and Yayi
Reaffirming their political allegiance, the APC ward leadership and the Ilobi-Erinja Development Association declared their continued support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Dapo Abiodun, and Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, in his governorship ambition.
They also pledged support for other APC candidates ahead of the forthcoming elections.
The groups said they remained committed to mobilising residents and party supporters to deliver an overwhelming vote for the APC, describing the party as their preferred political platform.
They urged individuals and groups circulating the purported defection claim to correct the public record and desist from portraying Ilobi-Erinja as a community that had abandoned the APC.
The signatories further called on media organisations, political stakeholders and members of the public to verify claims of political defections with recognised party leaders and community representatives before publishing or circulating them.
They also urged those responsible for the announcement to clarify their claims, arguing that the community should not be portrayed as ungrateful to the APC-led governments for development projects they said had been delivered to Yewa South and Ilobi-Erinja in recent years.
'Ilobi-Erinja Remains Absolutely APC'
In their final declaration, the groups insisted that the political position of Ilobi-Erinja remained unchanged, dismissing the purported defection as a false representation of the community's collective position.
“Our position is final: the APC Ilobi-Erinja Ward, in conjunction with the Ilobi-Erinja Development Association, declares that the entire Ilobi-Erinja Ward is solidly APC,” the statement declared.
The groups reiterated their rejection of what they termed political deception and urged the public not to interpret the purported announcement as evidence of a community-wide defection.
They concluded by reaffirming their allegiance to President Tinubu, Governor Abiodun, Senator Adeola and other APC candidates, insisting that Ilobi-Erinja remained firmly committed to the party.
The statement did not include a response from the PDP or Baba Tunde Akinlade to the allegations and claims made by the signatories.
