• Thursday, March 28, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

I don’t have ill feeling against Amosun – Abiodun 

Dapo Abiodun
Dapo Abiodun, Ogun state governor elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has ruled out ill feeling against Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his outgoing government despite the governor’s resistance to his governorship ambition in the first instance.
Recall that Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who serves on the platform of APC, had earlier gone against Abiodun’s ambition to govern the state with APC which later prompted the defection of governor’s anointed candidate – Adekunle Akinlade, to newly formed political party –  Allied People’s Movement (APM) that offered Akinlade, a political platform to contest against his old party and its candidate -Dapo Abiodun.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun, despite being a long time friend of Dapo Abiodun and governor on the platform of APC, openly campaigned, mobilised and worked for Adekunle Akinlade’s candidacy in the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in build up to 2019 Governorship election.
BusinessDay reports that Abiodun was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and thereby returned elected in the just concluded Governorship election, having having polled 241,670 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), who scored 222,153 votes.
But, the governor – elect while addressing newsmen at his country home in Iperu – Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state, declared that the contest for Governorship seat was not ‘a personal making’, rather he believed that he had something to offer the state in terms of good service.
Abiodun, who played down question that was raised on the possibility of probing Amosun’s government on assumption of office, pledged to run ‘a government for all by delivering focused, qualitative and open governance’.
“I don’t think anyone would have observed that when we started our campaign or during our campaign that I exhibited any form of anger against Governor Ibikunle Amosun, neither have I, at any point in time, say anything negative about him during our campaign.
“So, it is important to note that this is not a personal thing. It is about believing that one has something to give in terms of service to Ogun state.
“What we did during our campaign was to focus on the issues. I think we did that successfully by endearing ourselves to the heart of the electorate. I believe the electorate have spoken and they have spoken well. So, anger does not have a place.”
Meanwhile, both Gboyega Nasir Isiaka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Buruji Kashamu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have conceded defeat and have jointly congratulated the governor-elect, Dapo Abiodun for the victory recoded in Governorship election.
While Buruji Kashamu of PDP paid a visit to Abiodun at his country home in Iperu-Remo on Monday, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka of ADC spoke through a press statement released in Abeokuta tagged, “Posterity is the Compensator of Every Noble Effort: I Have Fought a Good Fight” where he conceded defeat and wished the governor-elect  well as he becomes Ogun state governor.
He said, “On Saturday 9th March, 2019, I contested for the office of Ogun State Governor on the platform of the African Democratic Congress ADC; the third time in a long journey of passionate desire to serve. It is no longer news that INEC has declared a winner and the result must be respected.
“Let me once again congratulate my brother, Prince Dapo Abiodun on his victory at the election. I have put a call through to congratulate him and his wife on the momentous occasion. It is an election and not a do or die affair; for which a victor must emerge. I sincerely wish him well in the huge task of governance.”
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta