Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has declared support for the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Barrister Biyi Otegbeye.
Amosun had repeatedly said that he would not support the candidate of his party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) – Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is succeed Amosun in 2019 and seeking a second term.
Many of Amosun’s supporters had decamped to ADC in the aftermath of the post-primary disagreement between both leaders.
In an interview with BBC Yoruba on Monday, Amosun confirmed the speculation that Otegbeye is his choice for Governor in 2023, while he would support the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It is a repeat of the 2019 scenario when Amosun, then a sitting governor, through his weight behind Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, who became the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) after losing the APC ticket to Abiodun in a controversial manner.
Four years ago – as it is this time – Amosun remained in APC, contested and won the Ogun Central senatorial election under the APC banner, supporters the second term bid of the party’s presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, but lost the governorship through APM.
Akinlade, who lost by 19,000 votes to Abiodun, has however defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, made running mate to a disputed governorship candidate.
Amosun told BBC: “For the presidential poll, I can assure you, both right, left and centre, we are supporting one person (Tinubu). I believe we are supporting one person. On the governorship poll, that’s a different ball game. I don’t belong there.
“For the governorship, that is different. I don’t hide behind one finger to fight. That’s why people say to me ‘don’t say that’. On governorship, my supporters and I, we don’t belong to that side. I do not support APC on that side, Biyi Otegbeye is the person I am supporting and ADC is the party”.
Amosun’s latest candidate, Otegbeye is from Ogun West Senatorial district, like Akinlade, and is the managing director at Regency Alliance Insurance PLC.
