In a major political shift in Lagos State, several high-ranking members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday officially announced their defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing prolonged internal crisis and irrelevance within the PDP.
The defectors include prominent party executives, former candidates for legislative seats, and key political stakeholders who accused the PDP of abandoning its founding ideals and failing to resolve persistent factional disputes.
Leading the defection was the PDP Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Hakeem Amode, who publicly declared that the party had become “a platform marked by instability, factionalism, and lost political direction.” Amode noted that the continuous internal wrangling had made it impossible for the party to present a united front or serve as a credible alternative to the ruling party.
According to the defectors, the decision to join the APC followed months of consultation and deep dissatisfaction with the PDP’s leadership and direction in the state.
Full list of defectors:
* Hakeem Amode – PDP Publicity Secretary, Lagos State
* Alhaja Safurat Abdulkareem – Former Deputy Governorship Candidate, Lagos State
* Chief Ola Apena – Former Deputy Chairman, PDP Lagos State
* Prince Rufus Ademola Adeniyi – Former Assistant State Organizing Secretary (Lagos West)
* Jerry Afemikhe (Olori Odo) – Former House of Representatives Candidate, Surulere Constituency 1
* Pastor Gbenga Ogunleye – Spokesman to the 2023 Lagos PDP Governorship Candidate
* Hon. Keshinro Abiodun – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Epe State Constituency 1
* Akeem Jinadu – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Eti-Osa State Constituency 1
* Hon. Ibrahim Balogun – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Kosofe State Constituency 2
* Taofeek Bolaji Obanikoro – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Lagos Island State Constituency 1
* Tunde Pratt – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Lagos Mainland State Constituency 2
* Saheed Aregbesola – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Oshodi-Isolo State Constituency 2
* Sulaimon A. Thompson – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Surulere State Constituency 1
* Taofeek O. Kuye – 2023 PDP LAHA Candidate, Ajeromi-Ifelodun State Constituency 1
* Adeyemi Kazeem – Former PDP Chairman, Ojo Local Government
The mass defection is seen as a significant blow to the PDP in Lagos, further highlighting the internal fractures that have plagued the opposition party in recent years. It also strengthens the APC’s political base ahead of upcoming electoral contests in the state.
