The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State, has warned a former Oyo Central Senator, Monsurat Sunmonu against insinuating that she will be handing over the entirety of the party’s structure to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), upon her defection to the latter anytime soon.
A communique issued at the end of a world press conference in Ibadan and made available to journalists Wednesday evening in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, maintained that the party, is in receipt of credible intelligence on the impending defection of Sunmonu to the PDP, especially so as to enable her take up appointment in the party’s presidential campaign council, has been going about boasting of her readiness to handover the ADC structure in the state to her new associates. The party noted that such boasts, which was the stock-in-trade of Sunmonu, also a former speaker of the State House of Assembly, were empty, vain and childish.
According to Adeoti Babatunde Aderoju and Bimpe Adelowo, chairman and publicity secretary of the party, who signed the communique adopted at the event attended by executives and candidates of the party across the state, explained that “Much as we do not begrudge the former senator of her democratic rights to associate with whomsoever she fancies, we’re constrained to issue this caveat emptor to her new associates so that they know what they’re buying.
“That Senator Sunmonu, one of the former leaders in the ADC, is not our party’s alpha and omega; as we have well-composed executive structures from the state to the ward level, which in no way answers, or is responsible to her.
“That she cannot, therefore, promise her new associates what was never in her control in the first instance; aptly summarized by this legal maxim we expect her to be familiar with; “nemo dat quod no habet,” she cannot give what she doesn’t have.
“Some of the Exco members that may be likely be paraded as defectors are either serving as assistant secretary /supervisory councillors and special assistants in various local governments and as such, they are political appointees in Gov Seyi Makinde administration
“That even her so-called defection is but another of her ostrich games, a ruse to confuse unsuspecting members of the public; as she’s publicly associated with, and hugely benefited from the PDP-government of Engr. Seyi Makinde since 2019. Hence, we’re surprised at what new thing her purported defection represents, many months after!
“That on account of this, we warn Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, to ensure she separates the facts clearly at her defection rally on Thursday, 13 October, 2022, telling the whole world that she would be jumping ship to the PDP in her personal capacity, and not with the support or express approval of our party, the ADC. You will recall we have expelled her and others on Tuesday.
“That as a party, we stand solidly behind all our candidates in the 2023 General Elections, and that we shall do all that’s legitimate to ensure their victory,” the party explained.
The party said it has candidates contesting all elective posts in the state, adding that Dr. Bamidele Ajadi and Evan. Emmanuel Oyewole are governorship and deputy governorship candidates of ADC. He said it fielded candidates for all the 32 state assembly; 14 reps and 3 senatorial seats across the state.
