Aregbesola shakes the table, leads Lagos political shake-up as PDP, LP members join ADC
Former Osun State Governor and ex-Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has spearheaded a significant political realignment in Lagos State, as members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, and other factions officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during an affirmation ceremony.
This move, captured in a video shared by Aregbesola on X on Saturday, August 23, 2025, signals a strategic consolidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Aregbesola, now the interim national secretary of the ADC, addressed the gathering, drawing on historical parallels to underscore the urgency of political change.
Quoting Obafemi Awolowo’s 1983 speech, he remarked, “Binary compounds of thesis and antithesis, which may be evolutionary or revolutionary, in which—whether we like it or not—all human beings are inescapably involved… When the war is over, only the best of us will be accommodated in the synthesis, with the best in antithesis in complete dominance.”
He further emphasised the current crises, stating, “Across the nation, the spectre of insecurity looms large as sundry criminals lay siege on the people, making economic and social activities nearly impossible. People now live in mortal fear for their lives and property.”
Delivering a speech entitled “When Good People Unite, Nigerians Win,” the former Osun State governor and ex-Minister of Interior said the ADC constitution guarantees 35 per cent representation for women and another 35 percent for youths.
“This is not tokenism, but recognition that Nigeria’s future lies in giving voice, space, and power to the underrepresented,” Aregbesola said, stressing that leadership must prioritise citizens’ welfare to remain relevant.
He accused the APC and PDP of losing vision and reducing politics to mere power struggles, urging ADC members to focus on building a people-oriented party from the grassroots.
Dr. Abimbola Ogunkelu, a PDP Board of Trustees member who led the defectors, described the movement as “a convergence of shared values and ideas for national transformation.”
Similarly, Dr. Segun Osho, who led defectors from the Labour Party, pledged loyalty to ADC, saying their goal was to rescue Lagos and Nigeria from failed leadership.
The event was attended by ADC national leaders, South-West chairmen, and party chieftains, including former Lagos PDP chairmen, Chief Muritala Ashorobi, and Captain Tunji Shelle, as well as other prominent defectors.
