The former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, on Tuesday officially completed his switch to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, just two years after quitting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Daniel, who was the Director-General of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation for the 2019 presidential election, resigned from PDP in March same year.
He also openly supported the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, during the 2019 governorship election in the state.
He was received into APC at his Asoludero residence in Sagamu, Ogun State, by Governor Abiodun and four other governors elected on the party’s platform.
The governors are – Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Abubakar Bello (Niger).
Bello, who is Chairman of APC Registration and Revalidation Committee, presented broom, a symbol of APC, to Daniel to formally welcome him into the party.
He said the National Chairman of APC Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni, and Bagudu, would formally present the former governor to President Muhammadu Buhari in a few days.
Bagudu, who is the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, described Daniel as a colossus with outstanding political ideology.
He said APC has grown bigger and better with his defection, adding that the party was happy to receive the ex-PDP chieftain.
Akeredolu described Daniel’s switch to APC as homecoming and urged leaders of the party in the state to come together and make the party stronger.
In his response, Daniel said the decision to join APC was well-considered and thought out.
He stressed that Nigeria needed leaders to come together and speak with one voice in order to tackle challenges.
In Ogun, no better time because we have a working governor who needs the support of all,” he said.
Governor Abiodun described Daniel’s defection to APC as historic, saying he supported his governorship ambition in 2019.
“Daniel will add a lot of value to our party. We are a party, not a social club. Before he joined us today (Tuesday), his advanced party has joined us. We expected more people to join us before the end of the registration and revalidation exercise,” he concluded.
