A Kwara State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the 2011 election, Alhaji Bala Lade, on Monday said no fewer than 5,000 members of APGA, loyal to the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okoroacha, in Kwara State had defected to the All Progressives Congress.

During a media briefing in Ilorin to announce their defection, Lade described the APC as a viable and credible platform that would salvage Nigeria from its developmental, socio-economic, political and insecurity challenges.

He said he and other 10 members of the executives of APGA had been authorised to speak on behalf of the pro-Okorocha APGA members in the state, who defected to the APC.

Other members that attended the media briefing included the state Vice-Chairman of APGA, Alhaji Taye Abdulrasheed;the party's former Kwara South Federal Constituency candidate for the House of Representatives, Olabode Obaoye; a former candidate of Irepodun State Constituency for the Kwara State House of Assembly, Muhammed Abubakar; another ex-candidate, House of Representatives (Kwara Central), Sikiru Ajinde; State Secretary, Olejide Adisa; Treasurer, Alaka Abubakar; ex-APGA member in Ilorin, Abdulrazaq Munir; a candidate for Kwara State House of Assembly, Ilorin North West, Wasiu Yahanya; State Youth Leader, Tajudeen Magaji; and Chief Whip, Alfa Kawu.

Lade said, "The numerical strength of a group of pro-Okorocha APGA in Kwara State embracing this merging process of APC, including all the Ndigbos that believe in the struggle, the entire APGA members loyal to Okorocha in the 16 LGs numerically should not be less than 5,000."