Former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has reiterated his support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Amosun, was one of the presidential aspirants of the APC before he stepped down for the former Lagos State governor at the party’s primary election in Abuja.
His anointed successor in Ogun State, in the 2019 election, was believed to have been prevented from getting the APC ticket by some leaders of the party, including Tinubu. They favoured the incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun.
In the last primary elections for governorship and legislative positions in the state, ahead of 2023, Amosun’s loyalists lost out again, as Abiodun maintained a tight grip on the party’s structure in Ogun.
It was gathered that some members of the Amosun political camp have left the party after falling out in the primaries, and due to the failure of the national leadership of the party to ensure a sharing formula proposed by the party’s reconciliation committee, last year.
However, Amosun, on Tuesday, told his loyalists that the “injustice” meted out to his camp, would not affect his support for Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari.
Represented by the faction’s APC Chairman, Derin Adebiyi at an extended leaders’ meeting held at the Ibara residence of the former Governor, in Abeokuta, Amosun maintained that those defecting from the party are free to test their popularity elsewhere, saying, however, that they should not negotiate with his name.
Sources at the meeting quoted Adebiyi as saying, “He (Amosun) has sent us to you that he stands with Tinubu, he is loyal to APC. He stands with President Muhammadu Buhari and by the grace of God, on May 29, 2023, he will follow him to Daura and say Alhamdulilah.
“If there is any other step to be taken, it will be a collective decision.
“Now, he said we should tell all of you that whoever loves him and believes in him with all his explanations, such person should stay with him and that he is not angry with anybody.
“Whoever wants to contest in another platform is free to contest, but should not use the name of this group or that of SIA to negotiate. This is what Amosun is saying. This is what he has asked us to tell you.”
It was gathered that some loyalists at the meeting were not pleased with the message as they insisted on moving into another party.
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