Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has dismissed as mischief the insinuation that he had defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or planning to dump the party over political developments in the state.
Amosun stated this when he fielded questions from State House correspondent of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Sunday.
The APC National Working Committee is believed to have forwarded the name of Prince Dapo Abiodun to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections.
Abiodun was declared winner of the Ogun State APC governorship primary by the APC NWC panel sent to conduct the primary in the state.
This declaration was against Gov. Amosun’s preferred candidate, Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, who was elected as the governorship candidate of the party in another primary conducted by the state’s APC officials.
Amosun had allegedly accused some political interest group of `misinforming’ President Buhari about `political equation’ in Ogun.
But, the governor pledged his political loyalty to the president and vowed to support his political ambition in 2019, saying, however, he would hand over the mantle of leadership to his preferred candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, in 2019.
Amosun, who was accompanied on Sunday’s visit to the presidential villa by the Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Gbadebo III and a former Minister, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, renewed his allegiance to the APC.
Announcing their defection, the spokesman of the group, Comrade Sunusi Ababai said “For several years now, we have been working hard for the development of Atiku Care Foundation. A lot of promises were made when we started.
“They told us that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar needed a platform to reach out to the masses at the grass root. We were committed because there were a lot of programmes from healthcare delivery, education, entrepreneurship, and youth and women empowerment.
“We started with our own money. Nobody gave us a dime because we believed that Atiku meant well for the nation; but unfortunately, we were abandoned at a time structure of the Foundation became solid. We were waiting all these while for Atiku to finance the programmes, only for us to hear how he splashed Dollars in Rivers state just to win the PDP presidential primaries.
“We worked for him without money, but he did not even appreciate our efforts and contributions. We believe that if such a person is given the mandate, he will disappoint Nigerians. So, our support for President Buhari is based on our personal conviction that he is the Messiah Nigeria needs now.
“We call on Nigerians, particularly, the youths to rally round President Buhari and give him the mandate to correct what the PDP-led government has plunged this country into for over 16 years they held on to power.”
He said: “We will stick with (President Buhari) him. So, I want them to know that we are not going anywhere.
“I’m going to be with the APC, we are in the APC and even after his second term, which by the grace of God and the support of all Nigerians he will win.’’
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