The Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Oluyole local government chapter has dismissed the reported defection of some persons from the APM to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the claim as evidence of the opposition partyโs growing political anxiety ahead of the 2027 elections.
The party, in a statement on Friday evening reacting to a report that APM members in Oluyole Local Government Area had defected to the APC, said the claim was merely a product of APC’s imagination and could not have been taken seriously by any serious political actor in the federal constituency or state.
Ayokunle Shonaike, the APM Publicity Secretary in Oluyole, who made this known in the statement described APC as a party embarked on mere political Jamboree to convince people of its existence in the LG.
The party said the APC’s celebration surrounding the development was grossly misplaced and undignifying of a party at the center claiming to exist by popular vote, particularly because those paraded as leaders of the defection had long been expelled from the APM for various anti party offenses.
The party described Oluyole as a “No Go” area for the APC ahead of the forthcoming 2027 general elections, insisting that the opposition partyโs decision to “roll out drums” over what it described as a gathering of expelled individuals exposed its fears about the political strength of the APM in the federal constituency and the eminent electoral defeat at the polls.
The APC had reported that more than 1,000 APM members in Oluyole switched allegiance to the party at an event held at its secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
The defectors according to the APC report, accused Governor Seyi Makinde of failing to appreciate loyalty, good human relations and sacrifice.
Reacting, however, Shonaike said the APCโs decision to even make the false claim a political event raised fundamental questions about the actual strength of the opposition party in Oluyole federal constituency.
The campaign organisation said it was curious that the APC was celebrating few individuals whose political status within the APM had already been enmeshed in various anti party behaviors and conduct, describing the development as an attempt to portray already expelled persons who no longer represented the partyโs structure in Oluyole as relevant to score non existing political points in the eyes of the unsuspecting members of the public.
The party also questioned the claim that more than 1,000 APM members had defected to the APC, saying the report did not provide the images or video evidence of the alleged defectors, their wards or any independently verifiable proof to substantiate such false propaganda.
According to the party, genuine political realignment should be demonstrated through identifiable political structures and subsequent electoral performance rather than imaginary figures announced during party events.
APM said the APCโs presentation of the development as a political breakthrough was particularly laughable given what it described as the partyโs failure to dislodge the APMโs deeply and widely entrenched structure in Oluyole.
The party maintained that the presence of APC leaders, candidates and other party officials at the event did not automatically translate into a mass political movement, arguing that photographs from a party secretariat where over 80 percent of attendees were known APC members could not be deflected to represent facts on ground.
On the allegation that Governor Makinde was “selfish and clueless”, APM said the statement represented the political opinion of the individuals quoted at the event on account of personal insatiable greed, and should not be presented as any known fact.
The party queried the motive behind those laying false claims against Makinde just to gain access to share in the APC largesse and national cake being shared across states of the federation ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APM said the electorate would ultimately assess the performance of political parties and candidates based on their track records, programmes and engagement with the people, rather than allegations exchanged during political defection ceremonies.
The party also rejected the assertion attributed to the defectors that the APM was Governor Makindeโs “private estate”, describing it as partisan rhetoric aimed at undermining a political platform that is preparing for the 2027 elections.
Wondering if the APC had drawn any lessons from its unprecedented defeat despite all the forces of federal might in the last Osun governorship election, the party said the opposition should focus on articulating its own programmes in clear terms and explaining what else its candidates could offer the people of Oluyole after two failed opportunities instead of relying on attacks against Governor Makinde and the APM.
It further dismissed the claim that the APC was the “only political party that is worth its name”, describing such a statement as a partisan assertion rather than a genuine assessment of Nigeriaโs current political reality and the nation’s multiparty democratic system.
According to the APM, voters in Oluyole are capable of assessing the competing political platforms and making their choices based on issues, records and candidates stressing that Engr. Akeem Olatunji would have flawlessly defeated the APC’s candidate before the close of voting on election day.
The party also advised the APC to learn from the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election, where the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, was battered by the eventual winner, Ademola Adeleke, despite deploying its entire federal might into a state for one off season election.
Shonaike said the Osun experience should remind Oyo APC that claims of false political relevance, rallies and publicised defections without substance no longer win elections.
The party said the APCโs celebration over expelled former APM members should therefore not be mistaken for an indication of political relevance, insisting that the 2027 contest would be decided by voters across the federal constituency.
The LG party’s spokesman said Oluyole remained a difficult political territory for the APC and that the partyโs attempt to create an impression of a major breakthrough through the reception of expelled APM members would not change the political realities on the ground.
He described the decision to “roll out drums” over the defection as a sign of anxiety and fear of what it called an inevitable defeat, urging the APC to concentrate on building a credible campaign around issues rather than what it described as propaganda.
He maintained that the 2027 election would not be won through newspaper headlines or defection ceremonies but through genuine grassroots support, effective organisation and the confidence of the electorate.
The party consequently challenged the APC to engage the people of Oluyole directly on its candidates, policies and programmes, rather than attempting to create an impression of political momentum through what it described as imaginary numerical claims.
