Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Ogun State governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Abdul Kabir Adekunle Akinlade, has once again knocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, accusing him of subverting the people’s will.
He said Oshiomhole connived with some people to shortchange Ogun State APC members who freely gave him their mandate to be the party governorship flag bearer.
He, however, told his supporters that he would win next year’s gubernatorial contest.
Akinlade, the preferred 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 his candidature.
Addressing newsmen and APM supporters yesterday, Akinlade said since his decision to pursue his governorship ambition on APC’s platform 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.
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According to him, APC primaries held across the states in the country were characterised by brazen disregard for decency and best practices, noting that the exercise was fraught with fake results and declared at fake venues.
“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 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 on 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 on the altar of a self-seeking minority”. Akinlade stated.
He, therefore, said that APM had come to stay in Ogun, adding that vigorous campaign would be pursued by the party to ensure victory at the 2019 poll.
Akinlade 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 other elective positions next year, said he would sustain the principle and tempo of the rebuilding mission of the incumbent governor, Senator 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, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
In his remark, the Director General of Abdul-Kabir Adekunle Akinkade Campaign Organisation, Sarafa Tunji Ishola, explained that he decided to team up with APM to redress the 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 would not only mobilise and vote for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, but would also ensure that Governor Amosun won his senatorial contest on APC’s platform.