By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo
The governorship candidate of the Accord Party in the 2022 governorship election in Osun State, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi has concluded plans to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Our correspondent gathered that plans were in top gear to welcome the insurance magnate into the APC fold.
Ogunbiyi who is the Group Chairman of Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, contested the governorship primary with Governor Ademola Adeleke in 2018.
He reportedly pulled out of the governorship primary in 2022, alleging lack of trust in the leadership of the PDP whom he accused of perfecting plans to cede the ticket to Adeleke.
He later moved to the Accord Party (AP) where he emerged as a governorship candidate in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Ogunbiyi was said to have returned to the PDP after the 2022 governorship election but the party did not welcome him.
Confirming the development, an APC chieftain in Osun who spoke on condition of anonymity said the move is almost a done deal and will soon become public.
He said Ogunbiyi was strategising ahead of the next governorship election in the state to give Governor Adeleke a proper challenge.
Reports reaching our correspondent indicated that the plan to move to APC is authentic. “He has been trying to come in for sometime with some vacillation but he seems to be firmly ready now. I think he is banking on the permutations that APC might be conceding the ticket to Osun West in the next election,” the party chieftain said.
Meanwhile perfected plans to announce the defection of Ogunbiyi to APC alongside his loyalists in his hometown, Ile-Ogbo in Ayedire Local Government are already concluded
A supporter of Ogunbiyi said “We the Idera de group under the supervision of Dr Akin Ogunbiyi on the platform of PDP in Ayedire announce to the world that we will join APC. The ceremony will hold at Ile-Ogbo market square at 3pm this week. Our resolve to dump PDP and join the progressives is for the glory and development of Ayedire and Osun state in general. All lovers of progressives are invited.”
