Ekiti ADP governorship candidate, Elebute-Halle, defects to APC

Former governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Mrs Kemi Elebute-Halle, has defected to the All Progressives Congress.

Elebute-Halle, who was the Director-General, ADP 2023 Presidential Campaign and the party’s National Deputy Chairman, South, announced her defection to the APC at the ADP State Secretariat in Ado Ekiti on Monday.

The politician, who spoke on the occasion of the introduction of the new state chairman of ADP, Mr Ayodeji Ojo, to party leaders, said that her decision to pitch tent with APC was informed by the organised nature of the ruling APC.

Elebute-Halle, who said that different political parties had since after the 2022 Ekiti governorship election has been making entreaties to her to join them, said that she opted for APC “because the party is well organised.

“I decided to move to APC because I believed in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu government and the love I have for Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji. The governor and the APC family appreciate and celebrate me. I have made up my mind, I will be leaving ADP”.

She said that she was not coming to APC to rock any boat, saying, “I don’t want His Excellency, Governor Oyebanji, to feel that I am coming from ADP to struggle with him. I want him to calmly run his race and believe that he has my backing”.

Elebute-Halle, who said that all pointed to the fact that Tinubu would be Nigeria’s best president, appealed to Nigerians to “give the President, Senator Bola Tinubu, time, he will put things right in this country”.

She told the ADP members that she would be leaving them in the hands of a reliable state chairman, who she said would restructure and pilot the party well in Ekiti State for members’ benefit.

The ADP State Chairman, Ojo, said that though the party was not happy with Elebute-Halle’s decision to leave, there was nothing it could do to stop her.

Ojo told the former governorship candidate, “We are not happy that you are leaving, but like you have said, you are an adult and entitled to your decision. We are not happy to release you, but we can’t hold you back. We wish you the best.”

The ADP chairman lauded Elebute-Halle for her contributions to the party in Ekiti State, saying, “You projected ADP more than you met it.”