Former Ekiti State Governor, Olusegun Oni, has officially defected from the Social Democratic Party, SDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Oni completed his registration into the APC at his country home in Ifaki Ekiti, formally aligning himself with the party through its ongoing electronic registration exercise.
Confirming the development on Monday in Ado Ekiti, the Coordinator of the APC e-registration exercise in Ekiti State, Adesola Adedayo, welcomed Oni’s defection and praised his participation in the process.
Adedayo, who also serves as the state Commissioner for Youth Development, described Oni’s registration on Sunday as a major boost to the APC’s membership drive and a significant gain for the party’s progressive bloc in Ekiti.
Oni served as governor of Ekiti State between 2007 and 2010 under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and later emerged as the SDP governorship candidate in the 2022 election.
Hailing the former governor, Adedayo described him as “a resourceful and popular leader, who will add tremendous value to the party and strengthen its winning streak.”
He added that Oni’s defection signalled “a seismic shift in the political realignment ahead of the 2026 Ekiti poll and the 2027 general elections.”
Congratulating party members on the development, the commissioner said, “On Sunday, we registered former Governor Segun Oni as a member of our great party. This significant political move will help the ongoing online registration of our members in Ekiti.
“When it comes to grassroots politics, former Governor Oni is a respected individual in this aspect. He is well-loved at the grassroots, and the intention of our registration is to attract more people into the APC. Having an individual like the former governor with us at this crucial time is a big plus.
“We are happy with the pace at which we are going in the e-registration exercise, and we know that the APC is poised for greatness and victory as we look up to the future elections.”
Adedayo urged party leaders and members not to relent in their mobilisation efforts, stressing that sustained and coordinated action was necessary to strengthen the APC’s numerical strength at the grassroots level.
He noted that Oni’s registration came less than 24 hours after Governor Biodun Oyebanji revalidated his APC membership, urging party faithful across the state to intensify mobilisation to further consolidate the party’s base.
The commissioner had earlier called on APC members to fully participate in the ongoing e-registration exercise, describing it as a measure of loyalty and commitment to the party’s future success.
“This exercise is very important as it will strengthen our party’s structures and ensure proper documentation of members at the grassroots,” he said.
Adedayo also linked the exercise to the party’s electoral prospects, noting that a strong and sustained membership drive was critical to the APC’s success, including the re-election bid of Governor Oyebanji in the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State.
