Oyo 2023: Makinde’s deputy, Olaniyan dumps PDP for APC

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Oyo State Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The deputy governor announced his defection on Sunday while briefing journalists in his office in Ojoo, Ibadan, the state capital, following rumours for several weeks of exiting the party. Sources had blamed Olaniyan’s decision on a frosty relationship with his boss, Governor Seyi Makinde.

Although both Governor Makinde and Olaniyan have denied having any rancour in the past, the latest move has confirmed that all was not well with the two leaders.

Olaniyan said his followers and party leaders have been asking him to move out of the PDP for a while and he can no longer hold them so he has decided to join APC

Just last week, reports emerged that Makinde planned to drop Olaniyan as his running mate for next year’s governorship election, but no official statement had been issued to that effect.

The duo were jointly elected in 2019 on the platform of PDP.