TheCable

Dapo Abiodun, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state, has accused Ibikunle Amosun, governor of Ogun, of plotting to upturn the decision of national working committee (NWC) of the ruling party to recognise him as the guber candidate of the state.

Amosun had lost out in his bid to have Abiodun Akinlade succeed him, though he has vowed to hand over power to him.

In a statement issued on his behalf by Emmanuel Ojo, media director of his campaign organisation, the guber candidate said the governor has asked two traditional rulers to appeal President Muhammadu Buhari not to accept him as the flagbearer of the APC in the state.

Ojo advised the traditional rulers not to be “dragged into this kind of murky politics which is heavily laden with ulterior and selfish motive being singlehandedly pursued by governor Amosun.”

“Our attention has been drawn to the latest political  antics borne out of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s relentless desperate move to upturn the overriding wish of all Ogun APC party members, who unanimously voted for Prince Dapo Abiodun as their gubernatorial candidate,” the statement read.

“Information has it that the Alake of Egbaland, HRM Oba M. A. Gbadebo and Olu of Ilaro, HRM Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Adeboye Olugbenle may have been successfully hoodwinked. We have been reliably informed that the traditional Rulers have been fed with all manners of unsubstantiated lies and falsehood by the governor.

“Having failed with so many attempts geared towards legalizing illegality, including a botched attempt to get an ex parte order at the Federal High Court Abeokuta on Friday 19th October, it is quite unfortunate that Governor Amosun is using his position of authority to unduly influence and mobilise respected traditional leaders for such hatched job.

“This act is capable of desecrating the symbol of peace and unity which our traditional leaders stands for and must be widely condemned by concerned citizens of Ogun State at home and abroad.”

Ojo wondered why Amosun is “desperate” to “install Hon Akinlade at all cost.”

“[Amosun] is frantically and desperately looking for every possible means to upturn the final decision of party members in the state, and duly ratified by the NWC of our great party,” he said.

“We all know that our dear president is a peace loving man whose integrity cannot be compromised. He will not upturn the mandate that had been freely given to Prince Dapo Abiodun by all members of Ogun APC, in a bid to satisfy the personal interest of governor Amosun.”