The crisis in the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State deepened on Sunday as one of the special advisers to the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Mrs. Abimbola Lanre-Balogun, defected to the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party.
She dumped the APC at the stakeholders meeting of the PDP held at the Goodluck Jonathan Political Centre in Ijebu-Igbo.
Giving reason for her defection, Lanre-Balogun said she was tired of enduring the style of governance being adopted by Amosun, which she described as "family affair."
She was the special adviser on environment to the governor until Thursday last week, when she resigned her appointment, stressing that the governor "is running a government of me, myself and my family."
Lanre-Balogun told journalists shortly after her defection that her passion to work for the good people of the state necessitated the action, alleging that the Amosun-led administration had made her redundant.
She said, "I have been in this government (Amosun's) since inception. I was sworn in as Special Adviser on Environment precisely on the 21st of July,2011 and we swung into action. Like I always say, I have passion for hard work, I set out to do so and began to do what God sent me to do for the good people of Ogun State.
"I began to work day and night when I was in the Ministry of Environment. It got to a stage that the governor himself called me to the executive meeting and he acknowledged my contribution.
"So I started the work, but along the line,I didn't know what happened, I just saw that work was no more coming and I went to him and said 'Sir, I don't like being bored, I want to work and that's why I'm here.'
"He said the position was just for me to occupy and that the people doing the work were there. And who were the people doing the work? Just five people – himself, his brother, his cousins and members of his family. We were not given anything to do."
Lanre- Balogun said she sent emissaries to the governor to ask him if she has done anything wrong.
But according to her, the governor says she has not done anything wrong, but she should just remain in her duty post.
But Lanre-Balogun stated that she was not cut out for such life of redundancy, and she had to bowed out.
She said, "I needed to move on because it's my life and destiny and I have got to take it in my hands and that was why I moved on to join the PDP."
Lanre-Balogun who added that her defection would be a major setback to the APC in Obafemi Owode Local Government area of the state, explained that more cabinet members would soon defect to other political parties.
She said, "I can tell you this, very authoritatively that more people are defecting anytime soon. They are top people, top cabinet members of the government would defect anytime soon."
Other PDP bigwigs in attendance include the National Auditor, Mr. Fatai Adeyanju, The Chairman, Organisation and Mobilization Committee of the party, Prince Buruji Kashamu, Mrs. Abisola Sodipo-Clark, the State Coordinator, Women for Change, Mrs. Bosede Ogunleye among others.
When contacted over Lanre-Balogun's resignation and the allegations she made, the commissioner for information, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the government would issue a statement on the development.
PUNCH
