2019: APC Aspirants kick as Ogun West unveils consensus gov candidate

ABEOKUTA  — SOME  governorship aspirants from Ogun East on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, faulted  Ogun West Elders Council  for presenting a consensus candidate from the zone to the party in the state. 

The Elders Council presented  the lawmaker representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Abdukabir Akinlade,  on Thursday  at the party state secretariat at Iyana Mortuary, Abeokuta. 

Akinlade hails from Agosasa in Ipokia Local Government Area. The chairman of Ogun West Elders Council, Chief Mohammed Olagbayi presented the candidate to the state party chairman, Chief Derin Adebiyi, who later presented him to party members, gathered at the secretariat. 

Adebiyi in his speech revealed that no fewer than 10 other aspirants from the zone supported Akinlade’s candidacy. In his acceptance speech, the Ogun West consensus candidate promised that if he was elected in 2019 as the governor, he would run an all-inclusive government, and vowed not to let the party down. 

Aspirants kick Meanwhile, in separate statements by an aggrieved aspirant, Dapo Abiodun, and Ijebu-Remo Agenda from Ogun East, aspirants disagreed with the consensus arrangement  which  produced Akinlade describing it as “sham and misleading.” Abiodun, who spoke through his Director of Media, Emmanuel Ojo, said: 

“It was a total misrepresentation of facts sponsored by the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his puppet State Exco.” On its part, the Ijebu-Remo Agenda, in a statement by its Media Head, Tayo Mabeweje, said: 

“It is only fair and equitable that the Ijebu/Remo zone produces the next governor as by 2019, the old Egba Province would have been in the governorship saddle of the state for eight unbroken years with Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s rule. 

“We believe that, in keeping with the principles of rotation and fairness, the governorship should revert to Ijebu Province. “Our position is not in any way an affront to His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, if anything, we acknowledge the giant strides of his administration in the last seven years in setting standard for infrastructure development and fully indentify with his Mission to Rebuild Ogun State. 

“However, we would like to appeal to the good people of Ijebu/Remo that make up Ogun East Senatorial District to be calm in the belief that a level playing ground would be made available for all aspirants, including those of Ijebu extraction, to contest the governorship ticket of the state.”