Ondo PDP Bids Defectors Bye, Says Party Can’t Lose Sleep Over Them

By Ayodele Oni

A former governorship aspirant in Ondo state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr. Banji Okunomo, along with some members of the party’s presidential campaign council and former local government chairman have resigned from the party.

They have all tendered their  resignation letter from the party at their various wards.

The state PDP has reacted to their defection saying the party cannot lose any sleep over their defection.

In a letter dated March 13, 2023, and addressed to the party’s chairman at Etikan Ward in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Okunomo notified the party about his resignation from the party.

In the letter entitled: “Notification of Resignation of my Membership of the Party,” Okunomo wrote that “With effect from Monday 13th March 2023, I wish to voluntarily resign my membership of People’s Democratic Party(PDP).”

He copied the national chairman of the party and all necessary offices of the party.

Also, Mr. Jossy Eganosi Ehinmore, a member of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council(PCC) has filed his resignation letter from the party with effect from Monday, March 13, 2023.

He’s from Ugbo Ward 1, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.

Likewise, Mr. Malo Olorunwa Francis also from Ugbo Ward 1 has tendered his resignation from PDP.

He is also a member of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC). He was a former councillor of Igbo Ward 1.

The other chieftain of the party, who resigned his membership, was Mr. Bitire Solomon from Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

He was the former chairman of Okitipupa Local Government Area.

In his letter to the party’s Chairman in Erinje Ward, Okitipupa Local Government Area, Bitire notified that his resignation took effect from Monday, March 13, 2023.

Spokesman of PDP in the state, Kennedy Peretei, while reacting to the defection stated that these same characters have moved in and out of the PDP twice in the last 18 months.

He added that their action is a confirmation of their nomadic essence as politicians.

“Most of them who got promotions beyond their capacities by the PDP have consistently lost their Polling Units to other political parties during elections.

“They have always been trailed by failure in their opportunistic and self-serving inordinate ambitions that drive their insatiable desire for crumbs from the master’s table.

“To put the record straight, Banji Okunomo, Solomon Bitire and their gang of court jesters declared that the PDP was dead in Ondo South, shortly after the PDP Governorship primary election in 2020.

“They defected to the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP) but shamelessly returned to PDP after their tragic outing that was a measure of their political relevance.

“In all honesty, why should the PDP lose sleep over the exit of such colourless, inconsequential and serial decampees?”