Southwest supporters of sacked National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sherif and Senator Buruji Kashamu (PDP-Ogun East) have explained why they defected to the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN).
The politicians stated they left the PDP because the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee was not magnanimous in victory.
The defectors were led by a former factional PDP chairman in Ondo State, Ebenezer Alabi, and Director General of Omo Ilu Foundation, Otunba Leke Adekoya.
Adekoya is also Kahamu’s Senatorial Liaison Assistant (SLA).
Speaking, Alabi accused the Makarfi group of displaying arrogance and making reckless statements about Sheriff’s group.
The former PDP chairman also accused Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and Senator Iyiola Omisore of substituting the names of members of state executive with their supporters at PDP’s national headquarters in Abuja..
Alabi noted that as followers of Sheriff, they could no longer cope with the impunity in the PDP, which he said was the original cause of disagreement between the two groups.
He said: “The purpose of the struggle was to stamp out impunity in the party. We thought the Supreme Court judgment would teach us a good lesson, but it did not. PDP has now been taken over by vampires that we cannot co-habit with.
“We, who believe in the leadership of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff have, therefore, decided to move en masse to the Mega Party of Nigeria (MON).
“It was registered in 2010 as Mega Progressives Party (MPP) but we are transforming it to the new name to show the strength. The name will change officially next week.”
Alabi added that PDP would soon realise that power belongs to the people and not a few individuals who trample on others.
He said the leadership was already talking to all members of the group in the five other regions to come over to Mega Party in order to show their strength in the next general election.
Alabi said though the Supreme Court judgment was a surprise, the members expected the Makarfi group to reconcile with the other group to reposition the party for the 2019 election.
He said: “But the Makarfi group chose not to be magnanimous in victory. First, they talked about offering us amnesty, as if we were militants.
“Recently, the Acting National Secretary also said he would not be surprised to see Sheriff join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“While Governor Fayose was also returning from Abuja, he stopped at Ikere-Ekiti, where he addressed people, making reckless statements. It was a display of arrogance of the highest order.”
Prominent among others in attendance were Oyo State Coordinator of Omo Ilu Foundation, Alhaji Kolawole Ibrahim, Chief Segun Odekunmi and Mrs Mary Anjorin, from Osun State.
