By Dayo Johnson

Akure—BARELY 48 hours to the Presidential election, the Ondo State deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi yesterday defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.

Alhaji Olanusi who celebrated his 73rd birthday on February 28 this year, however, refused to resign insisting that he will continue as the deputy governor of the state.

Labour Party candidate, Mimiko

But in a swift reaction, the state government which said the news came as a surprise, however, wished him well in his new sojourn.

Information Commissioner Kayode Akinmade in a two paragraph reaction in Akure said: “The state government just received the news of the defection of Alhaji Ali Olanusi, the deputy governor of Ondo State to the All Progressives Congress.

Akinmade added that; “Though it came as a surprise,  government acknowledge his right to determine his political affiliation and wish him well.

Alhaji Olanusi, however, cited marginalisation and total exclusion from government as reason for his defection.

Ironically, the deputy governor and the governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and his wife Olukemi, jointly welcomed the wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan during his visit to the state on Monday.

He sat besides his former boss all through the ceremony which took place at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade in Akure.

Alhaji Olanusi in a three paragraph press release personally signed by him yesterday announced his defection.

The statement reads; “In the unfolding political development in our country today, and in Ondo State in particular, it is increasingly clear that I need to chart a new course for majority of my followers who look up to me for direction and leadership and who have watched helplessly in the last six years, the untold marginalisation and total exclusion from the government they laboured to put in place.

“While still being in place as the democratically elected Deputy Governor of Ondo State, I have decided to lead my teeming supporters and well wishers in the state into the All Progressives Congress, APC, where we can find justice, fairness, equity and democratic liberty, a party to which majority of our kith and kin in Yorubaland belongs.

“I have taken this decision at this critical time in the best interest of peace, stability and good governance of our dear state and for the overall development of the South West and the nation.”

The news of his defection caught party leaders in the state by surprise.

The relationship between the governor and his deputy have been frosty in recent times.

PDP reacts

Meantime, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo state yesterday reacted to the defection of the state deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi to the APC describing him as a mole in the party.

According to the publicity secretary of the party in the state, Ayo Fadaka said that Alhaji Olanusi did not join the PDP with the governor when he defected.

A statement by Fakada in Akure, said: “It is, however, pertinent for us to underscore the fact that Alhaji Olanusi is not a member of the PDP in Ondo State as he was not re-registered in his Ward and Local Government by the party.

“While admitting that he attended two party functions recently, he was a passive observer at such functions and his attendance does not in any manner confer membership on him.

“By his latest political action, it is obvious that he had been a clandestine member of the APC and a mole in the Government of Governor Mimiko and has just received the order to declare openly for them.

“Of course, we suspect that his action is intended to serve as a response to the declaration of the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Tele Ikuru.

“We, however, declare that both are not in the same cadre, while Ikuru possess the power and influence to inflict devastating damages on APC in Rivers State, same cannot be said of Ali Olanusi of Ondo State.

Fadaka pointed out that,  “as we go into the elections on Saturday, PDP will coast to victory here.”

APC chairman speaks

However, reacting to the defection, the state chairman of the APC, Hon. Isaac Kekemeke described it as ”a welcome development. He is welcome to the progressive fold, this  singular action of his has shown that the people of Ondo State in their greater number have resolved that they will not allow one man to continue to fool all of them all the time.”

Kekemeke said that with the development, the party is sure of winning the general election.

He pointed out that the ship of the PDP in the state has sunk and the opposition is sure of taking over the state.

Deputy Speaker of Ondo State House Assembly, Dare Eniola, who is from the same Akoko South West council area with the deputy governor, has dissociated himself from the action.

Enmiola and Olanusi are chieftains of the PDP in the council area.

But Eniola in a statement  in Akure said he remained a chieftain of the PDP in spite of Olanusi’s defection.

“I want to use this opportunity to dissociate myself from the actions of the deputy governor, Alhaji Olanusi, who dumped the PDP for APC.

“All the honourable members of the Ondo State House of Assembly are still full fledged members of the PDP to which I belong,” he said.

Deputy speaker

The Deputy Speaker said the “PDP would sweep the polls on Saturday despite the defection of the deputy governor

He called on all party supporters across the state to remain steadfast as the action of the Deputy governor was a distraction.