By Jubril Bada

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has taken a swipe at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the defection of the political giants of the main opposition to the ruling party.

In a statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Alex Kalejaye said that the absence of a viable opposition in Ondo State’s political space, the Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lucky Ayedatiwa, is expected to enjoy an easy victory in the governorship election in November.

It stated that the unprecedented landslide victory would be aided by the political giants who recently defected to the ruling party from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It added that the struggling main opposition party should have done all it could to stop the defection of the experienced political players, including a former governor, former federal lawmakers, and a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, among others. PDP’s loss is APC’s gain.

Reacting ,the PDP said the recent defections of some political associates of former State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to the APC have sparked controversy and sensational media headlines, noting reports with titles like “Tsunami Hits Ondo PDP” and “Ondo PDP Now Dead” have flooded the media space, which the reality on the ground seems far from these dramatic portrayals.

The PDP in a statement through its State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kennedy Peretei, who went down the memory lane said the defections were hardly the earth-shattering events they’ve been made out to be.

Dr. Mimiko, a key figure in Ondo’s political scene, the PDP pointed out has not publicly declared any shift to the APC, yet his name is being used as a shield by the defectors which has led to unnecessary criticism of Mimiko, particularly on social media, raising questions about why the so-called “big names” did not stand on their own merit.

The APC in its statement explained that attempts by the aggrieved party to denounce and deny the political influence and relevance of these notable gladiators are understandably borne out of glaring frustration.

Expressing such frustrations, the APC cautioned that a sitting governor deserves some level of respect and called on party spokesmen to be more cultured in their choice of words while addressing the Chief Executive Officer of a state.

It added that the people of the state are convinced that the defectors are successful leaders, both in and outside of politics, and are only concerned about the speedy development of the state, which Ayedatiwa symbolizes.

In the statement, the spokesperson said the APC-led government, under the new dispensation, has nipped in the bud the era of indiscriminate borrowing to finance government operations. Instead, it has introduced measures to ensure that the state operates within its means and saves for a rainy day.

“The government has further conceived projects, which would have direct impacts on rural areas, that will soon be awarded to credible and qualified contractors for timely execution,” it read.