*DEFECTION: REMI BAKARE, OTHERS ARE ON THEIR OWN*

We have read reports in the social and traditional media of the purported defection of some political rovers from Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode and Abeokuta North local government areas who claim to be People's Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and members of the political family of our leader, the late Senator Buruji Kashamu and would wish to state as follows:

1. That it would be fallacious and illogical to describe them as PDP leaders or of the Kashamu political family. If anything, they are the remnants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) planted in the Ogun State PDP to cause disaffection and disharmony.

2. When they saw that the game was up with the peace brokered by the Dr. Bukola Saraki-led National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee, they simply decided to return to their vomit and home which is the APC.

3. While we respect their democratic and constitutional rights of association, we would like to inform the general public that these political merchants are acting on their own and not in the interest of the Kashamu political family.


4. History has a way of repeating itself. Recall that the same Dr. Remi Bakare who is reported to have led the "defectors" angrily and unreasonably rejected the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket freely given to him by Chief Segun Osoba-led Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011. Bakare is known for political miscalculation often borne out uncontrollable anger that he erroneously termed "principles".



5. Although he was named by our late leader as Chairman of the apex caucus (a body created merely for administrative convenience), he could not provide the much-needed leadership for the Kashamu political family, as things began to fall apart under him without a sense of direction, culminating in his return to his political family - the APC!


6. While we pity the few who have been misled into joining him and his leader in the APC, we wish to appeal to all the friends, associates and members of the Kashamu political family across the 236 wards in Ogun State to remain in the PDP which our late leader laboured to build. He joined PDP, lived and breathed the party until his last day. While he had friends across party lines, he was never an unprincipled politician who crossed from one party to the other at the flimsiest excuse. Therefore, we urge all members of the Senator Kashamu political family not to be distracted by the news of the few renegades.

7. We also wish to seize this opportunity to reaffirm that the Kashamu political family remains in PDP and we stand by the "Abuja Accord" signed on the 25th of March, 2021, as supervised by Dr. Bukola Saraki-led National Reconciliation & Strategy Committee.

Signed:

*Oyejide Sunkanmi*

*Publicity Secretary, Ogun State PDP*