Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Ogun State governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Abdul Kabir Adekunle Akinlade, on Monday, expressed confidence that he would emerge the next governor of the state come 2019.

Akinlade, who also boasted that the APM would defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the governorship contest and other elective positions next year, said he would sustain the principle and tempo of rebuilding mission of the incumbent Governor Ibikunle Amosun, if elected as governor.

The APM governorship candidate gave the declaration at the inaugural press conference of the party,  held at its secretariat in Leme Area of Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

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Recalls that Akinlade, the preferred governorship candidate of Governor  Ibikunle Amosun and other loyalists of the governor had, in October, defected from APC to APM, with the state governor declaring his total support for Akinlade’s candidature.

But addressing newsmen and APM supporters, on Monday, Akinlade, said that since his decision to pursue his governorship ambition under APC was visited  with injustice by some people with personal agenda, he had no choice but to seek alternative platform in search of justice, internal democracy and the sustenance of the mission to rebuild the state.

According to him, the APC primaries held across the states in the country were characterised with brazen regards for decency and best practices, noting the governorship primaries were fraught with fake results and fake declaration at fake venue.

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He, however, knocked the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, for conniving with some people to subvert the will of Ogun State APC members who freely gave him their mandate to be the party governorship flag bearer.

“In a brazen falsification of the will of the people of Ogun State and the open disregard for internal democracy, the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) came out with the predetermined results awarding victory to their adopted aspirants in various elective offices.

“All genuine efforts by various stakeholders across the nation to make them see reason and accept the people’s choice have fallen in deaf ears. The same brazen disregard for decency and best practices was displayed in many state chapters of APC across the country.

“The imposition of candidates and the open hostility to the duly elected party leadership in the state have therefore compelled us to look for an alternative platform in search of justice, internal democracy and sustenance of the mission to rebuild Ogun State. The larger interest of Ogun state must therefore not be sacrificed at the altar of a self-seeking minority”. Akinlade stated.

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He, therefore, said that APM has come to stay in Ogun, adding vigorous campaign will be pursued by the party to ensure victory at the 2019 poll.

In his remark, the Director General of  Abdul-Kabir Adekunle Akinkade Campaign Organisation, Sarafa Tunji Ishola, explained he decided to team up with APM to correct injustice meted out to Akinlade and by extension Ogun West senatorial district  by the APC.

Ishola, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC in April this year, said APM will not only mobilize and vote for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari, but will also ensure Governor Amosun wins his senatorial contest under APC.