By ADEKUNLE WILLIAMS

No fewer than 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.

Receiving the defectors at Alausa, Lagos on Monday, the Director-General, Independent Campaign Council of the APC, Mr Tayo Ayinde, said their defection would enhance the party’s electoral victory.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defectors were led by the PDP Women Leader, Alhaja Aolat Olatunde, and others at the Ward C comprising Alausa, Olusosun and Oregun.

Ayinde, also the Chief of Staff to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State congratulated the new members of APC for their decision and assured them of fairness and equal treatment with old members.

“We welcome all the defectors and appreciate you for your conviction and your trust in our party.

“I want to congratulate the people of Alausa because today’s event is important and unique in the sense that this is our national leader’s ward which is Ward C, Alausa Ikeja.

“Today, all the PDP members in Alausa, Ikeja, which is the ward of our national leader, had said to us that they are decamping to APC.

“We have here today the leader of the PDP in this ward, Alhaja Aolat Olatunde, who had called me and she told me that she had decided to join the ruling party.

“She told me that her decision to join the party was to use her influence to ensure victory for the presidential candidate and also because of the massive support for Asiwaju in the north and other geopolitical zones,’’ he said.

Ayinde promised to work with all party members to ensure victory for the party’s presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and for other party candidates in the state.

He enjoined members of other political party to come to the ruling party because of the massive development embarked upon by the current administration.

He said it was obvious that there had been massive development, across the nooks and crannies of the state.

In her remarks, Olatunde said the personality of Sen. Bola Tinubu attracted her and others to the APC.

“Tinubu is an enigma who has assisted a lot of people irrespective of their tribal, political or religious affiliations and I also benefitted from him when he was the governor of Lagos.

“We can also see the good works of Sanwo-Olu. These and many other reasons prompted our decision to join the APC.

“We have strong PDP members across Ikeja namely Alausa, Olusosun, Oregun, Opebi, Onigbogbo, Onireke and Cement among others that defected with me. More are willing to join the APC,’’ she said.

Also speaking at the event, APC chieftain, Cardinal James Odumbaku popularly called “Baba Eto’’ noted that Tinubu stands for progressive politics, the reason why people kept associating with him.

“We give kudos to our national leader, Tinubu; his works speak for him and attracted many opposition members to his party over the years,” Odumbaku said. (NAN)

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