Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (APC-Ogun Central), on Wednesday led the governorship campaign of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state against the interest of his party.
Amosun, also a former Governor of Ogun, had rejected the governorship candidate of his party, Dapo Abiodun, also the incumbent Governor and openly declared his support for Biyi Otegbeye, the ADC Governorship candidate.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign trail stormed the Ake Palace Ground, Abeokuta, venue of the formal inauguration of the ADC campaign.
Amosun, addressing the ADC members, said that he was not in support of Abiodun’s second term bid, because he had taken the state backwards from the development path his administration laid.
He said, it was regrettable that his successor had derailed from the development plan his administration started, insisting that only Otegbeye could return the state to the positive growth his government recorded.
Amosun explained that for justice, equity and fairness, the next governor of the state must come from Ogun West Senatorial District, which he said, has never produced the governor since the creation of the state.
“Otegbeye is my anointed candidate. I am APC, but for the governorship election, I’m going to support him. I’m going to work assiduously for the candidature of Biyi Otegbeye and his Deputy, Tunde Awonuga.
“The good works we started during my tenure must continue and this is why I’m supporting Biyi Otegbeye.
“Everybody knows me, I don’t hide behind one finger and evil thrives when good men refuse to talk, you know me, I’m APC, but this election that is coming, I support presidency coming to the South and that is why I’m supporting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Amosun further explained there were two major reasons why he was in support of ADC’s governorship candidate.
According to him, the reason is based on equity, justice and fairness, adding, Ogun is almost 50 years now and since the creation of the state, nobody from Ogun West has been governor.
“Some characters are saying Yewa don’t have good people, I know they have. Yewa has good children, I know that they can do it, Otegbeye is a lawyer, he has been tested and trusted.
“The second reason and that is very important is that, Ogun State must not derail. We have set the path of development for Ogun State, we must not allow it to be derailed.
“I feel sorry; I feel disheartened everyday when I see what is going on in the state; we must revert to that beautiful concept.
“We have prepared it, for the next 35 years so that people, who will come after us, will continue to do their own. If you see Lagos, you will say Lagos is doing this, Lagos is doing that, that is what they call continuity, just look at what we have designed for Ogun State.
“What we are here to do today is to take Ogun State back to that great position.
“I’m not the only governor, so it is not about Amosun, Amosun has done his bit, but Ogun state must go back to that positive trajectory and one person that I know can do the job very well is Biyi Otegbeye,” Amosun said.
He, therefore, urged the people to cast their votes for the governorship candidate of the ADC, Otegbeye, who hails from Ilaro in Ogun West Senatorial District of the state.
However, Otegbeye, in his short remarks, vowed to pursue programmes and policies that would make the state to continue on the path of greatness and economic prosperity.
(NAN)
