Some politicians loyal to the former governor of Ogun State, senator Ibikunle Amosun have unveiled their governorship candidate under the auspices of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)
Senior lawyer, Biyi Otegbeye who hails from the Yewa South Local Government Area of the state was yesterday unveiled as the gubernatorial candidate of the ADC.
Alhaji Olatunde Awonuga from Ogun Waterside Local Government was unveiled as deputy governorship candidate of the party.
Otegbeye and his running mate were unveiled at a meeting held at the Ibara residence of the former governor on Monday.
It was gathered that Amosun himself was present at the unveiling, alongside other factional members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Otegbeye was the House of Representatives candidate for Yewa South and Ipokia Federal Constituency in 2019, under the APC.
He had defected from the Amosun camp to join the Prince Dapo Abiodun group for the APC ticket, rejecting the ticket of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) he was offered by the then governor.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, Otegbeye returned to the Amosun camp and obtained the ticket of the APC.
The legal practitioner lost the primary election to Gov Abiodun and headed to court thereafter.
In a bid to legally contest under the platform of the ADC, the lawyer withdrew his case challenging Abiodun over the APC ticket in court in order to be a legal contestant of the ADC.
The Ogun APC is divided between Abiodun and Amosun factions.
However, the Abiodun faction has enjoyed massive support and recognition in the state.
Former Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun’s political godson, Adekunle Akinlade, the governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in the 2019 election in Ogun State, has emerged as the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 general election.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Akinlade dumped the All Progressive Congress (APC) to join the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Akinlade, after his defection into the PDP on Friday, was announced as the running mate to Hon. Ladi Adebutu, who won the PDP primary election in Ogun State.
While accepting to run on the same ticket as Adebutu, Akinlade said his decision to join the PDP was for the good of Ogun State.
According to him, the decision was not an easy one to take, but the sacrifice must be made.
“It might not be the most popular decision to take, but I believe it is necessary. Where we have found ourselves today in Ogun State needs that every sensible indigene of this state must be ready to make a sacrifice,” Akinlade said.
The former House of Representatives member recalled how Adebutu stood by him when he contested in 2019, saying “We will do everything we can to make sure that this party becomes victorious in 2023.”
Akinlade stressed that “we will work morning, afternoon and night; we will work round the clock. We have done it before under 90 days, now we have seven months to do this (campaign).”
“I have sat down with everybody. I know my role as the deputy governor. I will stand with you, I will stand by you and I will stand behind you. He said.
Ogun state former governor Ibikunle Amosun’s godson, Adekunle Akinlade has joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.
Recall that Akinlade dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week citing unfavourable conditions and injustice as reasons for leaving the party.
Around 12pm on Friday, Akinlade arrived at the PDP state secretariat along Okemosan, Abeokuta to meet with party leaders.
He was received by the PDP State Chairman, Sikirulahi Ogundele and other leaders of the party.
The governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in 2019 visited the PDP secretariat alongside other members of the Amosun political structure in Ogun.
Although Amosun has declared that he would stand with President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in spite of the injustice meted out to his camp, most of his followers said they would go with Akinlade.
As the heat over choice of person to be the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gets hotter, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other presidential aspirants of the party from the region are to meet today (Saturday), to ensure that they produce the next President.
The presidential aspirants from the South-west geopolitical zone are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, Ajayi Boroffice; Former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole; and Pastor Tunde Bakare.
Also expected at the meeting are governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and some ministers from the region.
South-west Presidential aspirants of APC
The South West meeting will hold at the Abuja, residence of former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, around 8pm.
Sources informed TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) that the discussion would border on ensuring that the South West goes into June 6 presidential primaries as a united front. A consensus candidate from the region will also be discussed.
“We will all be meeting at Chief Osoba’s home by 8pm in Abuja. Everyone is expected to be present. We will all sit together and discuss the need to ensure that the South West gets the ticket.
“However, all of us will be asked to be truthful with one another and see who among us has the best chance of winning the primary. Then if anyone is willing to step down to boost the chances of the South West, then this will be encouraged,” an aspirant said.
It was gathered on Friday that there is intense lobbying by some northern governors to ensure that the APC gives its presidential ticket to a northerner, which had unsettled the South West bloc of the party.
This was said to have caused Tinubu’s outburst at a meeting with Ogun State delegates on Thursday, where he insisted that the APC must give its ticket to a Yoruba man and that he must be the favoured candidate.
Okorocha, Ohaneye, Onu, other South-east aspirants meet
In the same vein, Presidential aspirants from the South-East had an emergency meeting on Friday to deliberate on a consensus aspirant for the region.
The aspirants from the region are Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; a former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha; the only APC female in the race, Mrs Uju Ken-Ohanenye; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; and Ikeobasi Mokelu.
Although their last meeting took place at the Maitama home of Okorocha days before his house was raided by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the venue of their Friday meeting was unknown.
South-east Presidential aspirants of APC
A source said the Igbo aspirants had resolved to consider throwing their weight behind one of their own ahead of the convention. The source disclosed that all the presidential hopefuls in the region were meeting almost on a daily basis.
Ohaneye confirmed the report in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Friday.
Asked if the South-East aspirants agreed on any form of consensus yet, she stated that it would form the highlight of their meeting by evening. “That is actually what we are doing today (Friday). We are looking at getting a consensus representative,” she added.
When reminded that politicians like Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, and Orji Uzor Kalu had thrown their weight behind Lawan, she insisted that they were not at the forefront of the campaign.
“We are talking about APC aspirants. Those people you mentioned are not. We are focusing only on the South-East aspirants. On what grounds are they standing for the South-East?”
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that with the power struggle being displayed by both sides (South-east and South-west) of the ruling APC party, who takes the bow over the issue flagbearer?
