Former Councillors in the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde between 2021 and 2024 have officially announced their defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), citing alleged marginalisation, unpaid entitlements, and exclusion from party activities.

The decision was made known at the end of the meeting held in Oyo Town by the Forum of Ex-PDP Councillors in Oyo State. The group, comprising former councillors across the 33 states’ Local Government areas, including the LCDAs, said their decision to dump the ruling party followed months of dissatisfaction and unresolved grievances.

According to the forum, with their full representatives at the meeting, which included

Rt. Hon Muili Kazeem Kolawole Arowodana, the Forum Chairman, 2021/2024 set from the Ibadan Northwest local Government, leading others, members were allegedly short-changed in the payment of their statutory entitlements while in office, a situation they described as unfair and demoralising.

They further alleged that despite their contributions to the party’s electoral successes at the grassroots level, they were neither recognised nor carried along in key party activities after leaving office.

The ex-councillors also accused Makinde’s PDP leadership in the state of deliberately excluding them from recent party congresses and decision-making processes, a move they said amounted to political marginalisation.

“We served diligently under the Seyi Makinde administration from 2021 to 2024 and contributed immensely to the growth and stability of the party at the grassroots. However, our efforts were neither appreciated nor rewarded, and we have continued to suffer neglect and exclusion within the party.”

The forum said repeated attempts to engage Governor Makinde and the party leaders and seek redress yielded no positive outcome, leaving them with no option but to collectively resign their membership from the PDP.

“Even in 2023, Governor Seyi Makinde promised us automatic tickets and asked us to obtain forms to contest Elections, which some of us did, but later ended in picking Candidates, and our money was not returned”, the Forum stressed.

While they did not immediately announce their next political destination, the group disclosed that consultations were ongoing and assured their supporters that a formal announcement of their new party would be made before the end of the week.