Former minister of state for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro may have made up his mind to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, which he joined while
Former minister of state for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro may have made up his mind to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, which he joined while in the Senate more than 10 years ago. Obanikoro who ran in 2011 as governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State will soon pitch his political tent with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Koro, as he is fondly called, has been making overtures to leaders of the ruling party as part of efforts towards his joining the APC.
According to sources within the ruling party in Lagos State, leaders of the APC will be discussing the defection plan of Obanikoro this week. The decision to look into his request to join the party followed what some sources described as a positive nod from the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It was however gathered that Tinubu initially showed reluctance to Obanikoro’s return to his political camp which he deserted over a decade ago to join the then ruling PDP. But the national leader soft pedalled on his stance after the former Minister reached out to some prominent Lagosians to intercede on his behalf before Tinubu.
Tinubu eventually agreed to meet with his erstwhile godson after much pleading. It was after the two met that Obanikoro started getting good response from APC leaders in his quest to join the party. He apologized profusely for his past misdeeds and political miscalculations. There are even talks that he nurses a return to the senate on the platform of the APC come 2019,” our source added.
Similarly, former Enugu state governor, Sullivan Chime has also dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress, APC at a ceremony in Udi local council of the state today, Chime said he was crossing with thousands of his supporters to the ruling party. He had on March 16 this year, announced that he had dumped the PDP on whose platform he served as governor for eight years. He said the party was dead and cremated. National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun formally received Chime into the APC fold.
According to Chime, his decision to join the APC was to provide direction for upcoming politicians in the State. Chime described the APC as the only viable party with national outlook in the country.
“This is the only party that can take any politician to their destination and I pray that what happened to the PDP does not happen to APC. I am moving to the APC because a lot of people are looking up to me for direction. I ended my journey in 2015 but I still have my supporters looking for guidance.”
Chime said that he was neither joining the APC to fight anybody nor seeking for any elective position as there was none at the moment.
NAN
