Remaining 2 PDP members in Lagos Assembly promise loyalty

In spite of the lingering leadership crisis in the PDP, the remaining two members of the party in the Lagos Assembly have promised to remain loyal to the party.

Messrs Victor Akande (Ojo Constituency) and Dipo Olorunrinu (Amuwo Odofin I Constituency) said on Monday that the crisis in PDP did not warrant defection.

They spoke in interviews with Newsverge in Lagos.

Six PDP members in the Assembly had on Thursday defected to the ruling APC, citing leadership crisis in the party.

The defectors include the Minority Leader, Mr Akeem Bello (Amuwo Odofin II), Minority Whip, Mrs Mosunmola Sangodara (Surulere II) and Mr Olusola Sokunle (Oshodi/Isolo I).

The others are Mr Jude Idimogu (Oshodi/Isolo II), Mr Dayo Famakinwa (Ajeromi Ifelodun II) and Mr Fatai Oluwa (Ajeromi/Ifelodun I).

Akande said that the defection was unjustified, and hoped that peace would soon return to the PDP.

He expressed dissatisfaction that the defectors abandoned the party on which platform they were elected, saying that their attitude showed that they would abandon APC when in crisis.

“I have no plan to defect to another party,’’ he told Newsverge.

He, however, regretted that the PDP crisis had made some of its members to leave.

Reacting, Olorunrinu told Newsverge that leadership crisis was not peculiar to PDP and would not make him to defect to another party.

“I believe in loyalty; so, I owe loyalty to the party that took me to the assembly,” he said.

He expressed confidence in the ability of the party to overcome its challenges.

One of the defectors, Idimogu, had said that he left PDP because of its lingering leadership crisis which, he said, could jeopardise his political career.

Idimogu said that the crisis in PDP was getting out of hand.

“Right now, PDP is factionalised while the APC has a stronghold in Lagos State. I thank God that they (APC) gave me the ticket to come here.

“I was not finding things easy in the PDP; I was embarrassed and unable to plan for the future,’’ he told Newsverge.

The lawmaker added that his political future and the interest of his constituents would be better protected in APC.