Amosun: Why I’m Working against Dapo Abiodun

•Ogun governor challenges his predecessor over cost of renovation

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Immediate past governor of Ogun State and Senator Representing Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun,  yesterday, declared that  he was not supporting the governorship candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun for his second term bid, because he has taken the state backwards from the development path his administration laid.

But Abiodun, has also challenged Amosun on the alleged cost of renovating a Model School he built for N830m but renovated with N3bn, saying his predecessor lied.

Amosun urged the people to cast their votes for the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Biyi Otegbeye, who hails from Ilaro in Ogun West Senatorial District.

The former governor, made the call during the flag-off of the ADC campaign rally held at Ake palace ground in Abeokuta, the state capital.

 Amosun had last year, openly declared his support for Otegbeye and vowed to work against Abiodun his long time friend now turned political foe.

Addressing thousands of ADC supporters, Amosun said, “This is my anointed candidate (raising Otegbeye’s hand up). I’m APC, but for the governorship election, I’m going to support, I’m going to work assiduously for the candidature of Biyi Otegbeye and his deputy, Tunde Awonuga.”

Amosun said, for justice, equity and fairness, the next governor of the state must come from Ogun West Senatorial District, which has never produced governor since the creation of the state.

He said, it was regrettable that his successor derailed from the development plan his administration stated, insisting that only Otegbeye could return the state to the positive trajectory his government recorded.

“The good works we started during my tenure must continue and this is why I’m supporting Biyi Otegbeye. Everybody knows me. I don’t hide behind one finger. Evil thrives when good men refused to talk, you know me, I’m APC, but this election that is coming, I support presidency coming to the South and that is why I’m supporting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that is why all the Amosun political family are supporting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“There are two reasons why I’m doing what I’m doing. The first one is based on equity, justice, fairness. Ogun state is almost fifty years now, since the creation of this Ogun State, nobody from Ogun West has been governor. Some characters are saying Yewa don’t have good people, I know they have. Yewa has good children I know that can do it. He (Otegbeye) is a lawyer he has been tested and trusted.

“The second reason and that is very important is that, Ogun State must not derail. We have set the path of development for Ogun State, we must not allowed it to be derailed.

“I feel sorry, I feel disheartened everyday when I see what is going on in the state. We must revert to that beautiful concept, we have prepared it, for the next 35 years so that people will come after us and will continue to do their own. If you see Lagos, you will say Lagos is doing this, Lagos is doing that, that is what they call continuity, just look at what we have designed for Ogun State.

“What we are here to do today is to take Ogun State back to that great position. I’m not the only governor, so it is not about Amosun. Amosun has done his bit, but Ogun State must go back to that positive trajectory and one person that I know can do the job very well is Biyi Otegbeye.”

Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Abeokuta by the Chief Press Secretary to the Ogun State Governor, Kunle Somorin, Abiodun said, “Little doubt he is called Irokunle by people because he is known for dishing out putrid lies all the time.

“As a governor, he promised to do everything and did virtually  nothing. He abandoned most of them after claiming to have paid 100 per cent for them. We are known as a promise-keeping administration. We promised only what we could do and did all that we promised.

“It is not surprising that the former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). What is surprising is that he has upped his deceit and political shenanigans by feasting on falsehood started last week by Biyi Otegbeye, his new party’s candidate.

“While Otegbeye was awe-struck by the finesse of the Gateway City Centre and put a figure of N7b on a N350m project, Amosun at the flag-off of Otegbeye campaign rally lied to have completed a Model School at Kobape and slammed a N3b as renovation cost on the said school.

“It is a shame that the former governor does not know the difference between converting an abandoned project to a socially desirable Tech Hub at this age and time.”