Senator Ayo Akinyelure and Gbenga Edema Explain APC Departure for ADC
Former All Progressives Congress (APC) members Senator Ayo Akinyelure and Gbenga Edema have revealed why they quit the ruling party to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in preparation for the 2027 elections.
Akinyelure, the ADC’s candidate for Ondo Central Senatorial District, said the APC had become disorganised and no longer offered a credible platform for serious contenders.
He stressed that electoral success depends on the strength and credibility of a political platform, not merely on money or influence.
“I have gathered experience over the years. Winning an election is about getting the right platform to contest, not one riddled with problems and multiple candidates who rely only on money, not credibility,” he said.
After reviewing the Independent National Electoral Commission timetable and assessing the state of the APC in Ondo, he began searching for another party.
“When I looked at the INEC timetable and the condition of the APC, I saw no organisation. Everybody claimed to be a leader in their own corner,” he added.
“That is why I looked for a party with discipline and found it in the ADC.”
Akinyelure also lamented that, despite serving two terms in the Senate and winning elections on the APC ticket, he felt unrecognised within the party structure.
“As a politician, I value recognition. I do not see myself staying in a party where, as a federal legislator, I am not acknowledged,” he stated.
“Where you are not recognised, you have many enemies. They will hide what you did right and magnify what you did wrong.”
He expressed confidence that his Senate record would work in his favour, estimating his chances of winning a free and fair election at 80 to 90 percent.
Gbenga Edema’s Critique of APC’s Meritocracy
Edema, the ADC candidate for Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency, accused the APC of abandoning merit and turning political appointments into commercial transactions.
“When you do not reward excellence and you commercialise positions, that is the beginning of corruption,” he said.
He alleged that some individuals occupying federal posts within the APC had not contributed to the party’s growth but secured their positions through financial influence.
“If I pay money to obtain an appointment, what am I going there to do except recover my money? That is what is happening in the APC today,” he alleged.
Edema said he initially defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party in 2024 but later lost confidence in that party after its leadership congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa before the election was concluded.
“That told me everything about the integrity of the party’s leadership. That is what brought me to the ADC,” he said.
He added that the current ADC differs from its earlier structure, praising the credibility and commitment of its present leadership.
“If you want to serve, it does not matter in what capacity. I have served in the House of Assembly, as Chairman of OSOPADEC, and at the NDDC,” he noted.
“I have dropped my ego and listened to my people, who asked me to contest for the House of Representatives.”
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