One of the leading gubernatorial aspirants of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Oyo State, Mogaji Joseph Tegbe, has reportedly left the party to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This is coming after the continued crisis within the progressives party, claimed its first casualty.
The deal was sealed late Tuesday night, after months of intensifying pressure, as the new decampee will now move from Ibadan South East in Oyo South to his village in Ona-Ara Local Government in Oyo central senatorial district.
Tegbe, an Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU-trained engineer, management consultant, tax advisor and senior partner and head, technology advisory and markets for KPMG in Nigeria, became popular after running a less than four months campaign in 2018 until the APC settled for Bayo Adelabu as its governorship candidate.
He has been penciled down as the PDP candidate for Oyo central senatorial district, reportedly edging out Bisi Ilaka, Makinde’s former chief of staff, who had once been considered for the ticket.
It was gathered from a close source that Monsurat Sunmonu, a former Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, was at the centre of the deal.
“APC hasn’t treated him very good. Though I am not happy with his movement. Engr Tegbe has a lot of followers. It will definitely affect our party,” another top stalwart of Tegbe’s former party said.
“That chief of staff position really affected Chief Bisi Ilaka. Before then, he was loved in Oyo, where he had a solid political base but everything went with the position. I pity him but it is what it is. He has contested more than twice,” said a PDP stalwart.
When asked for a reaction, a top aide of Tegbe who preferred anonymity, asked this correspondent to wait for sometime, When he called back, he asked for time, saying that he has not been opportuned to see “”Oga.”
“He wouldn’t want it in the media for now. He was pressured. Sen. Monsurat was on his neck. He initially rejected it but the former lawmaker wouldn’t leave him. He has relationship with the governor too. They have met on several occasions,” said another aide.