A former Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olawale Oluwo, has said there may be more defections from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party in the coming days.
He said based on a study he had done, he believed the candidate of the PDP, Jimi Agbaje, would emerge victorious in the 2019 governorship elections in the state.
Oluwo just resigned his appointment as a commissioner in the state, citing the conduct of the APC party primary as a reason for his decision.
He also claimed that the party violated its own guidelines when it decided to use the open ballot method instead of the open-secret ballot.
Talking to The PUNCH on Wednesday after also announcing his decision to join the PDP, Oluwo said the APC shot itself in the foot when it denied the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, the party’s governorship ticket despite acknowledging his good performance.
He insisted that his decision to leave the party was personal, saying the state governor had no hand in it.
Oluwo said, “They should take Ambode out of it; it was my decision. I made my own decision and invariably, they (other commissioners) have to make their own decisions based on the reality they face or the perception they see and how they will react to it. If anyone of them is interested in joining me in the PDP, I welcome them with open hands and I know his Excellency Jimi Agbaje will welcome them.
“It is not correct (to say that leaving the APC for the PDP is political suicide). I can tell you based on the realities on the ground today that Jimi Agbaje is going to be the next governor of Lagos State.
“The APC had Lagos on lockdown before this abracadabra of Ambode’s ticket issue, so anything that is happening to the APC now is self-inflicted. They denied Ambode his ticket although they confirmed that he was doing well and he was a good governor, but that he is not a party man. What does a party man mean? So, not getting your second term is the punishment you get for not being a party man? That is a decision the party has taken and it must be ready to stand by the consequence of that decision.
“But I can tell you that Jimi Agbaje will be the next governor of Lagos State because the people of Lagos are prepared to vote for him. I have taken samples from all the local government areas. It is what I have done in the last 60 days and that has emboldened me to say yes, I will help him and by God’s grace, he will form the government in the next term.
“I think the APC leadership and the governor will have to manage the consequence of this my exit and if it is mismanaged, it may cause a lot of people to leave the APC to go to the PDP. So, their reaction can trigger action in some individuals. But I expect some more to come.”