The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State depleted further on Tuesday with the return of former Commissioner of Commerce, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Remi Adikwu-Bakare.
This was as the Mega Peoples Progressive Party (MPPP) and the state chapter of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) collapsed their structures and embraced the APC.
Adikwu-Bakare, defected to PDP before the 2007 general elections, when she could not pick the Action Congress, AC, governorship ticket, as the party’s leadership preferred former Governor Babatunde Fashola, ex-chief of staff to then Governor Bola Tinubu.
Her defection to APC on Tuesday with thousands of her followers followed closely that of Hon. Moshood Salvador, the Lagos PDP’s former state chairman, who joined the party with thousands of supporters.
Adikwu-Bakare, who was received at a grand reception at the APC’s state secretariat in Lagos, pledged to work with the party’s leadership and the entire members for the greater good of the state.
While commending the leadership quality of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Adikwu-Bakare said that having decided to dump PDP, she had dropped the party’s orientation and embraced that of APC.
She said: “Everybody’s journey is destined by God. I return to APC believing that it needs more hands. Many who left the party with me have returned with me. More are still coming back.
“I promise to give support to the leaders, the members and the women. I promise to meet with all the female contestants in the 2019 general elections. We will all contribute to build Lagos to greater heights.”
Adikwu-Bakare, who pledged the sum of N2 million to the state chapter of the party, returned with thousands of her followers, who sang and danced as Hon. Babatunde Balogun, the party’s state chairman, who received her with several APC leaders and his executive, handed her the party’s flag and broom, the APC symbol.
Balogun, in his speech, described Adikwu-Bakare as a sister, saying that her return was a homecoming.
He said: “On behalf of the Lagos APC, I welcome you all back. Remi Adikwu-Bakare, an erstwhile APC member, has returned to APC. She has realised that APC is for the Progressives. She has decided to join hands with the Progressives to make Lagos a Mega City of the 21st century.
“By working with other Progressives, we will take Lagos to a greater height. Lagosians believe in us. That is why we continue to win elections in Lagos.”
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Balogun described APC as a focused and disciplined party, which had been delivering on its promises, stressing that that was why a lot of people had embraced the party.
According to him, “Lagosians believe in us and trust in transforming Lagos. Lagos is the third highest economy in Africa. With people like Adikwu-Bakare joining us, we will still continue to rule Lagos.
“With the way APC is going, PDP will be completely obliterated in the political map of Lagos. With her return, the APC torn umbrella is completely destroyed in Lagos.”
Balogun also received thousands DPP members, led by Hon. Are Tajudeen, its state chairman, as well as another crowd of MPPP members, led by Hon. Oludare Falade, its national chairman, handing over the party’s flag and broom to the two.
