Senator Ayo Akinyelure and Gbenga Edema have left the All Progressives Congress for the African Democratic Congress, citing disorganisation, lack of recognition, and internal leadership collapse in the ruling party.
Speaking in Akure on Wednesday, Akinyelure, who will contest for Ondo Central Senatorial District under the ADC, said winning elections depends on having the right political platform, not money or influence. He served two terms in the Senate under the APC but claimed the party never recognised his contributions as a federal legislator.
"As a politician, I value recognition. I don't see myself staying in a party where, as a federal legislator, I'm not recognised," he said. "Where you are not recognised, you have many enemies. They will hide what you did right and magnify what you did wrong."
Akinyelure accused the APC of lacking discipline and organisational structure. He said internal respect for hierarchy had collapsed in some parts of the state. "When I looked at the INEC timetable and the state of the APC, I saw no organisation. Everybody is a leader in their own corner. That's why I searched for a party with discipline and found it in the ADC."
The former senator expressed confidence in his electoral prospects, claiming his track record in the Senate was solid and voters who supported him before would do so again if the election is free and fair. "The chances of winning belong to God. But if INEC conducts a free and fair election, my chances are about 80 to 90 percent," he said.
Edema, who will run for Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency under the ADC, made similar criticisms of the APC. He accused the party of commercialising political appointments and abandoning merit-based systems. "When you don't reward excellence, when you commercialise positions, that's the beginning of corruption," he said.
Edema alleged that some individuals holding federal appointments in the APC structure did not contribute to the party's growth but secured their positions through financial influence. "If I give money to get an appointment, what am I going there to do except recover my money? That's what is happening in the APC today," he alleged.
Edema revealed that he initially defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party in 2024 but lost confidence after the party's leadership congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa before the election was concluded. "That told me everything about the integrity of the party's leadership. That's what brought me to the ADC," he said.
Edema noted that the current ADC structure differed from its previous formation and that he was attracted by the credibility and commitment of the party's present leadership. He said he had served in the House of Assembly, as Chairman of OSOPADEC, and at the NDDC. "I've dropped my ego and listened to my people who asked me to contest for the House of Representatives," he added.
