By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje has received a former governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party in the 2022 Ekiti election, Kemi Elebute-Halle, into the APC.
Thousands of supporters of the former governorship candidate were also received by the Party’s National Chairman at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Earlier, Elebute-Halle had officially defected to APC in Ekiti state where the Senate leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, A.K.A MOB flew all the way from Abuja to Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state capital to welcome her into the party in the state.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs Monisade Afuye, the party’s state chairman Barrister Sola Elesin, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political matters, Chief Jide Awe and others had received her alongside her thousands of supporters from all over the country who followed her into the ruling party.
At the epochal event, Erelu Elebute-Halle also put smiles on faces of thousands of supporters. She distributed food palliatives and cash gifts worth over 10 million naira to help the beneficiaries to buffer l the effect of the raging economic crunch in the country on them.
Bags of rice customized in Governor Oyebanji’s name, clothing materials, kitchen utensils and cash, were distributed to people who were drawn across the 16 local governments of the state.
Tracing the trajectory of her unstoppable political movement and influence in Ekiti, it will not be exaggerative to declare that Erelu Kemisola Elebute-Halle’s defection to the ruling party will bolster the APC in Nigeria as the party’s political base is further strengthened by her latest moves.
In Abuja, Ganduje, who handed over the APC flag to Elebute-Halle and certificate of membership hailed her and the decampees for identifying with the ruling party. The high point of the event was the presentation and the cutting a symbolic ‘National’ cake to celebration her.
Ganduje assured her of inclusion into national politics saying that the party will accommodate all her followers who decamped with her across the country.
He said: “I want to thank you for being in the progressive party. I decided to invite you to work with you and that is one of the attributes of progressiveness.
“I observed that you are not the only decampee to APC and your followers from Ekiti State decamping to APC but members from all over the country, that’s another dimension for you.
“You are an upcoming pillar for APC not just in Ekiti State but in Nigeria. You are now fully members of APC. Give us later the names of your followers so that we can contact our state chapters for them to accommodate your members. This is necessary for integration into our party.
“I assure you that I will include you in our assignments at the national level. Your members will see you as a national figure.”
Earlier in his remark, the outgoing Chairman of Action Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Chief Olufemi Afolayan said he has resigned from the party prior to his defection.
He explained to the APC Chairman that they purpose of the visit is to present Elebute-Halle to him as the first female governorship candidate in Ekiti State alongside other decampees from other parties.
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