Mass Defection Boosts APC In Oyo As Senator Halleluya, 50,000 Others Join Party
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State on Tuesday received Senator Hosea Agboola Halleluya and more than 50,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) into the ruling party, describing the development as a significant boost to its political strength.
The defectors, drawn from the state’s 33 local government areas, were formally welcomed in Iseyin during the ongoing federal constituency tour of Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola, organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the APC.
Prominent APC leaders at the event included Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin; the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; Senators Abdulfatai Buhari, Sharafadeen Alli and Ayo Adeseun; as well as the state party chairman, Pharm Olayide Abass, and other party chieftains.
Addressing the gathering, Folarin described the mass defection as a strong endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership and the Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the APC remained the most credible platform for inclusive governance and sustainable development.
He assured the new members of full integration into the party, stressing that internal differences within the APC in Oyo State had been resolved and that the party was now united and focused on grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In his remarks, Adelabu welcomed the defectors, describing their decision as timely and courageous, and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to peace, unity and collective progress across the state.
Other speakers, including Senators Abdulfatai Buhari and Sharafadeen Alli, said the increasing wave of defections into the APC reflected growing public confidence in the Tinubu administration and the party’s strengthening organisational structure.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Senator Halleluya said the decision to join the APC followed extensive consultations, adding that the Renewed Hope Agenda and renewed unity among APC leaders in Oyo State informed their resolve to align with the ruling party ahead of the 2027 polls.
