The Ajeromi Ifelodun arm of African Democratic Congress has fired her first salvo to other political parties in the area after the defection ceremony that received the coalition group into their fold.
Hon Patrick Chigoziem Madu, the LGA Chairman of ADC, warned that the party is not coming to parade as a mere political party but is presenting a party that will deliver the entire Ajeromi Ifelodun local government from the hands of APC.
“We are ready to win elections, we didn’t come to parade just as a political party, but we’ve come to stop the cries of the people and I know that Ajeromi will deliver to ADC 100%”
“Our brothers and sisters have come today to join hands with us and with our present ADC leaders in Ajeromi Ifelodun, we will win for the people. We understand that we are going to work for our success coupled with the fact that people are tired of APC and PDP already”, he highlighted.
Hon Madu charged the 11 elders working with him and members of the party to support the ward chairmen whom he said may not be perfect but have found grace.
The move, which saw a large block of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members led by Prince Okafor, Sikiru Lawal of the Ariwoko political group and some members of Labour Party marked one of the most significant defections in the LGA’s political history recently.
Hon. Emilia Ezeude, a former House of Representatives member, who was represented at the event by her spokesperson, Onyinyechi Phillips, described the defection as “a day of courage, boldness, and destiny.”
In her address to party leaders, supporters and community members, the former PDP chieftain; declared that the time has come for leaders and followers alike to seek a platform that truly represents service, unity, and vision, rather than personal ambition.
“For years, many of us gave our strength and loyalty to the PDP,” she noted, “but truth must be told—the party we once knew has lost its soul. When leaders choose selfish ambition over the common good, a political home becomes a prison, and freedom must be sought.”
The decision, according to her, is not born out of bitterness or defeat, but of a broader vision for the people. She emphasized that the ADC offers a “politics of solutions” in contrast to the “politics of excuses” that has long hindered Nigeria’s democratic growth.
Prince Okafor and Alhaji Sikiru Lawal of Ariwoko group also echoed her sentiments, stressing that their movement into the ADC represents a rejection of stagnation and recycled politics.
“We are not leaving for power,” he declared. “We are leaving for purpose.”
For Sikiru Lawal Ademola, the leader of the Ariwoko group, a major PDP block that joined ADC, today; is a beautiful day that has consummated our dream of forging ahead into a formidable group, so, I see hope and victory in the coming years. He however allayed fears of any trouble in the future as he said, the party has a manifesto and way of operation and with this, everybody’s interest will be accommodated.
Chux Obunse, a leader in ward E charged leaders of the party and cautioned that, “it will not be good to continue in the leadership format that stifled PDP in this new formation. Imagine one calling himself a leader, but has not ever won in her polling booth in any election, not to talk about his ward.
For Titilope Iyiola, Ariwoko group woman leader; popularly called Iya Ariwoko, she was very blunt as she tasked the members to take the ADC message to the entire length and breadth of Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA, that ‘we have moved from PDP to ADC and that we are serious”
She declared that ADC will sweep the elective offices at the Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA, including the state level.
Balogun Kazeem showed optisim that Ajeromi Ifelodun is easy to win for ADC going by the trends of election since 2017.
“That APC won us in some wards was due to some of our leaders and that is why I am charging this present crop of ADC leaders not to behave like those PDP leaders that used to betray the party during election seasons”
For Rev Emenike Emmanuel, he pleaded with the party members to fight with one voice unlike their previously divided stance . The race for 2027 has started and people must be involved in the PVC registration.
Observers believe the mass defection will significantly reshape the political dynamics in Ajeromi Ifelodun, a local government long considered a PDP stronghold.
