The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has been lauded for its decision to effect a full membership registration for members of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) who defected to the party during the 2023 governorship election in Ogun State.
The body known as PDP Renaissance Group, in a statement issued by its chairman, Barrister Adebayo Ojo, on Sunday, said the decision of the PDP national leadership to open its arms in accepting the defectors was “a right step in the right direction.”
The PDP NEC, in its resolve to reposition and strengthen the party membership across the country, has directed its Ogun State chapter to register over 20,000 members of the APM that joined the party during the 2023 general election with immediate effect.
It will also be recalled that the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State during the 2023 general election, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, moved to the PDP with members of the APM across the state, which significantly impacted on the performance of the PDP in the election.
The statement said: “APM members who defected to the PDP had yet to be registered as card carrying members of the PDP, a situation which had dampened the morale of those defectors.”
The statement stated further that the action of the PDP was in line with extant laws of the party concerning membership registration, specifically quoting Chapter 2, Part 1, Section 8(1) and Section (58) (1) (C) of the party’s constitution.
“With the directive of the national leadership of the party, the State Working Committee is hereby mandated to effect the directives, in which failure to do so will amount to an offence and breach of the party’s constitution,” the group stated.