By Ayodele Oni
There are indications that the planned defection of former Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni, to the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA) where he hoped to be picked as the party’s flagbearer in the June election has hit the brick wall.
Oni, who lost out in the Primary Election of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), where he came a distant second, was rumoured to have concluded arrangements to ditch PDP and join APGA.
The social media has been awash with his supporters already displaying the logo and dress code of APGA with his picture.
Even as at last Friday, some of his supporters were expecting him to return from Abuja to Ado Ekiti, where he had gone to meet with the leadership of APGA to formalise his defection.
Surprisingly, when things did not work out as expected in Abuja, the tune changed as his supporters denied on Sunday that he ever dreamt of decamping to APGA.
Director of Publicity of Segun Oni Movement, Mr Jackson Adebayo, denied that Oni has joined APGA describing the claim as absolute falsehood.
“The concocted story that Segun Oni has joined APGA, as well as pulling out again, is just part of the orchestrated blackmail put together by those who are being hunted by the aspiration of former Governor.
Adebayo, in a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, explained that though many Political Parties approached the former Governor to fly their ticket in the June 18 election, he didn’t agree to join any due to the ongoing wide consultations.
He claimed that some stakeholders in the Ekiti project attempted to convince Oni on reasons he should agree to contest on APGA’s platform, but he declined arguing that the people of Ekiti State would come up with a party they love before the close of the window.
“It now became laughable reading on social media that Segun Oni is leaving APGA that he has never joined before; or how can you resign from an association you never belonged to?.
“People behind such rumours are those who were being taunted by the geometrical growing of Segun Oni popularity and the negative effects it will have on other political party in Ekiti State.
“What they wanted to achieve with such a blackmail has however backfired on them as the people of the state refused to buy into the shenanigans.
“As it stands today the only person that the people could trust with the governance of the state is Eng Segun Oni as evidently displayed at every nooks and crannies of the state.”
“We will not be bothered as we are too focused than to be distracted by writings that was rumbled together to cause confusion.”
Substitution of names of Governorship candidates and their running mates by parties at the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) is expected to close next week.
 where he hoped to be picked as the party's flagbearer in the June election has hit the brick wall.){kind=link}