DAUD OLATUNJI writes that the rift between Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun and his former senator, Ibikunle Amosun, could be at the heart of the state's 2023 governorship election results.

48 hours after former governor of Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun, politically threatened his successor, Dapo Abiodun over the governor's imminent defeat in the election, strong evidence has emerged that Amosun and his loyalists had a plan at the All Congress Progressives. To get the Allied movement on track before the 2023 elections.

The APM, which failed to defeat Abiodun in the last gubernatorial election in the state, is said to have been revived by Amosun who will remain in the APC. Under Amosun, APM declined sharply when the party was cleverly wrested from the control of former Peoples Democratic Party loyalists. The situation has thwarted the former governor's plans to support candidates against incumbents ahead of next year's gubernatorial election. APM Speaker Kehinde Sotayo and the gubernatorial aspirant disappeared 24 hours before the National Electoral Commission transferred the name of the candidate. Candidate Olutosin Jolaoluwa came forward and announced the resignation of Biyi Otegbeye, Amosun's favorite candidate. Our correspondent earlier learned that Amosun reached an agreement through the fiduciary leadership and the APM but the parties had to rotate 24 hours before the INEC deadline. As a wise politician, Amosun should have secured the structure of the African Democratic Parliament and left APM and quickly rejoined the party. Amosun is convincingly known to have settled in Otegbei as the governorship candidate in Ogun West, an area that has never produced a governor since the creation of the state in 1976. According to party leaders in Amosun's camp who spoke on condition of anonymity, Otegbeye, an entrepreneur, insurance expert and former governor running on the platform of the APC, was elected governor of ADC. A law graduate from the Lagos State University, Otegbey has served as the Managing Director of Regence Alliance Insurance Plc since 2011. However, sources say Amosun has spoken to APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu about plans to work with him during the election and will support ADC candidate Otegbei against Abiodun's second term ambitions. . After failing to secure a ticket on the state's APC platform, Governor Amosun's favorite candidate, Akinlade, pushed the former governor to use the APM platform in 2019, losing over 19,000 votes to Abiodun in the election. Recall that Amosun, who was running for the 2019 Ogun Central Senatorial District nomination of the APC, publicly led the APM campaign of the state. Interestingly, Akinlade left the opposition PDP and became the vice presidential candidate of the party.

Not long ago, many political observers believed that Amosun Akinlade blessed his decision to join the PDP. However, recent political deals suggest that Akinlade has gone it alone. Some loyalists of the former governor, who requested anonymity, denounced both Amosun and Akinlade for the act. Some have accused Akinlade of joining the PDP without the express permission and support of his former boss, while others have accused the former governor's actions described as inexplicable.

According to them, Amosun rallied a loyalist a few weeks after the APC primaries and was all excluded and opposed to those who sought to pursue and fulfill their ambitions on all platforms. The statement caused some loyalists to leave the PDP and the Labor Party. Akinlade and Otegbei both polled zero votes with Abiodun in the APC Governorship Primary. A senior leader of the Amosun camp, who requested anonymity for not being authorized to speak on the matter, told the correspondent that the candidate had filled out a nomination form after speaking with an ADC candidate who was willing to offer tickets to Amosun loyalists. . But politics heated up after Ilaro Olu and Yewaland supreme ruler Oba Kehinde Olugbenle announced that the Yewa people had accepted Abiodun tickets. The supreme leader also said that contrary to Abiodun's ambitions, the region is in no rush to elect a governor in the upcoming election. The statement sparked controversy between Otegbei and Abiodun supporters. Meanwhile, the APC leadership of Amosun state has accused the incumbent governor of failing to win the 2019 governorship election. The party said Amosun has suffered “political amnesia and loneliness due to his absence”. In a statement by the Minister of Public Relations, Tunde Oladunjoye, the party should pray for the former governor and urge the general public to pray for him for the explanation the former governor obtained through manipulation. Amosun Abiodun said he won by rigging in 2019 shortly after receiving the award at the club's 50th anniversary in Abeokuta and that those who rigged the governorship election have apologized to him.

The APC described the trial as "an after-dinner speech by a man suffering from political amnesia and loneliness". The statement said: “Our party has taken note of the allegations leveled against Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun and chief promoter of APM.