Ibadan — Over 2,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party (AP) have defected to the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Atisbo local government area of Oyo State.

The defectors were received by governor Abiola Ajimobi at the local government headquarters in Tede during his official visit to the council.

The governor, while speaking at the ceremony, hailed the decampees for deciding to join ACN, which he described as a progressive party, assuring them that they would not regret their action.

He called on old members of the party not to discriminate against the new ones, saying that they should all see one another as stakeholders in ACN.

The governor also called for unity and cohesion within the party, warning against the promotion of splinter groups which, he said, was capable of polarizing the party and weakening its structure.

"ACN is ACN. The party is one and it should be seen as such. There should be no splinter group within the party because it will not promote unity and cohesion. We should all hold the party together so that it can be stronger,"he said.

The governor had also spoken at the maiden Oyo North Senatorial meeting of the party in Iseyin on the need for members to shun bitterness and acrimony and not to allow any crisis that might work against ACN in the state.