By John Dike, Osogbo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has described the recent reception organised for defecting lawmakers as a “flop,” alleging that the event failed to attract genuine grassroots support because the decampees “betrayed the mandate of the people.”
In a strongly worded statement issued by the state PDP chairman, Chief Sunday Bisi, the party said it observed the rally with “more excitement and disappointment,” arguing that the turnout exposed what it called a lack of real political momentum behind the defectors.
The PDP insisted that the lawmakers were elected on its platform and owed their mandates to voters who supported the party’s vision and the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
According to the party, the low turnout at the rally demonstrated that “Osun people do not clap for opportunists,” stressing that voters remained loyal to the PDP despite the defections.
The statement also pointed to the absence of key figures of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in Kebbi State at the time and that notable party leaders, including Chief Bisi Akande and Otunba Iyiola Omisore, were absent.
PDP said the development reflected what it described as internal divisions and “autocratic leadership” within the Osun APC, adding that the party had “desperately purchased liabilities” rather than gaining political strength.
While acknowledging that politics allows freedom of association, the PDP maintained that the defections did not diminish its grassroots support, insisting that “the soul of Osun remains with the people.”
The party said its members across the state remain resolute and focused, adding that trust and long-term credibility — not crowd size — would ultimately determine political strength ahead of future elections.
