SGN Leads Massive Defection to APC in Irele and Ese Odo.
By Kuye Babatunde
The Sunshine Grassroots Network (SGN) Today, 17th November 2025, led hundreds of members of opposition political parties to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Irele and Ese Odo Local Government Areas of Ondo State, marking a major boost for the ruling party at the grassroots level.
The defection exercise was coordinated under the leadership of the Director General of SGN, Hon. Dayo Awude, who was ably represented by Hon. Dele Ogunbamerun and Hon. Tolani Hassan. Speaking on behalf of the DG, the representatives reiterated that the core mandate of SGN since aligning with the APC is to add value to the party, expand its grassroots base, and work collectively to ensure electoral victories.
According to them, SGN remains committed to grassroots mobilization, political inclusion, and strengthening party structures across wards and local governments in the state.
The event also witnessed strong institutional support from the party leadership at the local government level. The APC Chairman in Irele Local Government, Chief Z. A. Omoge, alongside the APC Chairman in Ese Odo Local Government, Hon. Decent Opinmi, who both represented the Ondo State APC Chairman, warmly received the new members into the party and assured them of full integration and equal participation within the party.
Addressing party faithful and the newly decamped members, Hon. Prince Atayese, a chieftain of the APC in Irele Local Government, warmly welcomed the decampees into the All Progressives Congress. He reiterated that the APC is big and inclusive enough to accommodate everyone, applauded the Sunshine Grassroots Network (SGN) for a job well done, and declared that with this massive defection, there is no longer any opposition in Irele Local Government and even Ondo State at large. He further charged the newly decamped members to return to their respective wards and actively preach the gospel of the APC.
In his remarks, Hon. Decent Opinmi, Chairman of the APC in Ese Odo Local Government, expressed surprise at the large number of defectors and commended SGN, expecially the Deputy Director General, Hon. Festus Dabo for what he described as a well-organized and effective grassroots mobilization effort.
Special appreciation was extended to BTO, described as the financial backbone of the Sunshine Grassroots Network, for providing the resources that made the initiative successful.
Many of the decampees attributed their decision to join the APC to the visible achievements of the party at both federal and state levels. They praised the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Asiwaju) for his ongoing reforms across the country, as well as the performance of Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, particularly citing the ongoing construction of the Ajagba road and the installation of street lights across Ajagba as evidence of responsive governance.
While applauding SGN and BTO for the initiative, speakers also commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for his commitment to infrastructure development and improved living standards for the people of Ondo State.
The defection exercise ended with renewed assurances from SGN that the network will continue to strengthen the APC through sustained grassroots engagement and strategic political mobilization ahead of future elections.