A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 2024 governorship election, Agboola Ajayi, has returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant political realignment in the state.
Ajayi formally rejoined the ruling party on Tuesday at his hometown of Apoi Ward 2, Kiribo, in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Ajayi had defected from the APC to the PDP in June 2020, citing irreconcilable differences with the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, under whom he served as deputy governor.
Speaking in Igbekebo, the headquarters of Ese Odo Local Government Area, Ajayi pledged his full support for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s EASE Agenda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He described his return to the APC as a homecoming, noting that the move would allow him to actively participate in party affairs and contribute meaningfully to progressive governance and development in Ondo State.
“In politics, disagreements, campaigns, propaganda, and even blackmail are not unusual,” Ajayi said. “However, at the end of the day, the bigger picture is the Nigeria project. We must come together to add value to the system.”
He revealed that he had since held discussions with Governor Aiyedatiwa, stressing that while both men had campaigned against each other during the last election, unity and progress must now take precedence.
“Myself and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa have talked. We contested against each other, but when you look beyond politics, you realise that the bigger picture is greater than all of us. This is about Nigeria and how we can move the country and our state forward,” he stated.
Ajayi also commended President Tinubu for what he described as bold and far-reaching economic reforms, expressing confidence that the policies would deliver long-term benefits for the country.
“The President has laid a solid foundation with the reforms he has introduced. These are policies that no future leader will easily reverse,” he added.
