Amosun’s Associates Emerge DPP Candidates

Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta

Strong indications emerged at the weekend that Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and his close aides might have been on their way out of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) due to the inability to field Hon Adekunle Akinlade as the APC governorship candidate in the state

As at Friday, THISDAY checks showed that names of Amosun’s prominent kitchen cabinet members vying for the National Assembly seats “have appeared on the list of the Demo cratic People’s Party (DPP) as candidates.”

The development confirmed the growing speculation that Amosun might have sought for an alternative platform to make good his dream, having been unhappy with the outcome of the governorship and legislative primaries in the APC that denied the emergence of his preferred candidate.

Investigation revealed that those whose names were found on the DPP list as pasted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were until Friday members of the ruling APC.

On the list as candidates for the three senatorial seats in the state were the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye (East); a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Amosun, Alhaji Bola Adeyemi (Central), and another SS) on Energy, Chief Taiwo Fagbemi, as the senatorial candidate for Ogun West.

Whereas the names of Amosun, his Chief of Staff, Tolu Odebiyi and his ally, Senator Lekan Mustapha were listed and pasted as senatorial candidates of APC for Ogun Central, West and East seats in the National Assembly respectively.

It was gathered that the names of APC executive members and political appointees “planted” in DPP would be substituted with all the names of the consensus candidates of APC on or before the December 1 deadline for withdrawal and final substitution of candidates.

On the DPP list as candidates for the House of Representatives are former APC chairman for Egbado South Local Government, Odebiyi Safiu Abiodun, Egbado South /Ipokia Federal constituency; a younger brother to zzzhe Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adekunbi Fatai Aremu; Alhaji Taofeek Olabode, a serving chairman of Abeokuta North Local Council Development Area as candidate for Abeokuta North/ Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency.

Others on the list are the General Manager of the State Housing Corporation, Ms. Olajumoke Akinwunmi (Abeokuta South); the Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government Area, Wale Shittu (Ijebu Central Federal Constituency).

Also on the list are Odumosu Olugbenga (Remo North); a Commissioner in the Civil Service Commission, Mojeed Ekelojumati (Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside); the current chairman of APC in Ifo Local Government Area, Saheed Ariori (Ifo/Ewekoro) and Lamidi Rasheed (Ado-Odo/Ota).

However, there are speculations that the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, who couldn’t make it on the APC list, would be substituted with the name of his younger brother Fatai, as the candidate of DPP for Egbado North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency.

Sources further said Olabode’s name might be substituted with the name of the current occupier of the seat, Abeokuta North/Obafemi-Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, Hon. Mikhail Kazeem.