Osun 2018: Labour Party To Merge With PDP

Hundreds of members of the Labour Party in Osun including the party’s governorship aspirant, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, on Tuesday, expressed their readiness to defect  to the major opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, vowing to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress during the forthcoming governorship election next year.

The decision to defect followed moves by the Caretaker Committee of the PDP to woo Akinbade and begged him and other members of the Labour Party to return to the PDP.

Asking Akinbade to forgive the party and give way for reconciliation of past differences, the chairman of the PDP caretaker committee, Ahlaji Sarafadeen Ishola said there was a need for those who had left the party to return if PDP would defeat APC in the August, 2018 poll.

Ishola while addressing members of the LP and PDP members at the residence of Akinbade, said PDP had visited the former National Secretary of PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola to seek forgiveness disclosing that Oyinlola forgave the party for the injustice meted out on him.

According to Ishola, “we are here today to beg Oluomo (Akinbade). There is bound to be offences in politics. So, our brother, Alhaji Akinbade, forgive us and return to PDP. There has never been any party that ruled Nigeria for 16 years since independence in 1960. We need to reconcile our differences.

“Osun people are clamouring for transformation and 2018 is vital in Osun. The people are already asking for the exit of APC and we shouldn’t disappoint them. We shouldn’t disobey the people of Osun. We will still beg other people like SSG and commissioners.”

In his reaction, Akinbade said that himself and other aspirants and members of the LP had agreed to join PDP in defeating APC in the state.

The former Secretary to Osun state government said he dumped PDP in February, 2014 saying he was ready to return to the party alongside his numerous supporters.

While noting that LP would meet and issue a formal release on its defection said if the party had not supported late Adeleke’s younger brother during the Osun West by election, PDP may not have defeated APC.

Akinbade said, “PDP is the only solution to Osun challenges. Osun people will not be happy with us if we should misuse this opportunity of this election. To prevent the APC from rigging this governorship election, we need to decrease APC’s numerical strength.

Meanwhile, all the members of the Labour Party publicly declared their resolve to defect to the PDP.