Ondo PDP Hit by Mass Defection as Transport Workers Move to APC

The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a major setback on Tuesday following the defection of hundreds of members across the state’s 18 local government areas to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors, mainly members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), said they left the PDP due to internal issues within the party and expressed their commitment to work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Receiving them at the APC Secretariat in Akure, the party’s state chairman, Ade Adetimehin, welcomed the new members and urged them to return to their wards to begin mobilization for Tinubu’s second-term bid.

Adetimehin declared that the APC had no strong opposition in Ondo State, noting that President Tinubu’s achievements were attracting widespread support.

“This is the party of victory,” he said. “In APC, there are no old or new members, everyone is equal, and everyone has room to grow. President Tinubu has done well for Ondo State, and we must work hard to give him a landslide victory.”

The leader of the defectors, Ojo Adewole of the Asiwaju Transport Movement, said the group was impressed by the president’s performance, especially in road rehabilitation and new construction projects across the state.

Adewole also praised the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, whom he described as an exemplary leader who encouraged them to join the APC.

He highlighted ongoing road projects, including the dualisation of the Benin–Ilesa highway, expansion of the Ore–Ondo–Akure road, upgrades on the Akure–Ado Ekiti route, and the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway, as reasons for their decision.

“As transport workers, we understand the importance of good roads,” he said. “President Tinubu has continued projects from the Buhari administration instead of abandoning them. This shows true leadership, and it is part of why we are supporting him for a second term.”