Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Sen Adeola Olamilekan has said that it is not only regrettable but also shameful for the status of Sen Ibikunle Amosun, the immediate past Governor of Ogun State to have said that the 2019 governorship election was rigged to favour Gov Dapo Abiodun.
Sen Adeola fondly called Yayi said that even if after three years Sen Amosun who is no doubt suffering from over bloated ego is yet to recover from his failure at the polls, he should have come to term with the fact that the people of the state voted against him due to his high handedness and love for playing God.
Adeola who is the Ogun West senatorial standard bearer for the APC in 2023 elections made this disclosure while reacting to the statement credited to Sen Ibikunle Amosun that Gov Abiodun never won the 2019 governorship but was rigged in.
Amosun was said to have uttered this during the 50th anniversary of Abeokuta Club and had also promised to work against the re-election of Gov Dapo Abiodun in 2023.
In a statement made available to journalists at Abeokuta, the state capital on Sunday, the second term senator currently representing Lagos West had said that rather than sulking or attempting to twist history Amosun should know that “The victory of Prince Abiodun in 2019 election has its origin in the revolt of the majority of the people of Ogun State against his lopsided oligarchic reign over a period of 8 years.”
This is said to be in addition to the former Governor’s undemocratic, odious and obviously politically greedy attempt to impose all electoral candidates in 2019 elections from the state to the federal level with his cronies to the exclusion of all tendencies in Ogun APC.
He said the people of the state rejected Amosun’s governorship candidate who contested on the platform of Allied Peoples Movement (APM) Hon Adekunle Akinlade at the polls because of the former Governor’s posture of playing God and that having seen his series of his anti-party moves, the ruling party rallied round Prince Dapo Abiodun and pushed him to victory.
Adeola said, “By a majority votes of 241,670 for Prince Abiodun and 222, 253 for APM’s Hon. Akinlade, a difference of over 19,000 votes, the Ogun State people rejected Senator Amosun and his imposition and the mandate was subsequently validated by our judiciary.
“So, it is regrettable nonsense that a man of the status of Senator Amosun will publicly say such a free and fair election validated by our judiciary was rigged. I challenge him to name those he alleged came to him to apologize for rigging.
“To the glory of God, Gov Dapo Abiodun has discharged and is discharging his role as Governor creditably to all sections of the state in contrast to the sectional administration of Amosun in Ogun State.
“He is dutifully completing projects abandoned by Sen. Amosun while starting new ones across the three senatorial districts of the state. In the 2023 election, all genuine APC members and indeed appreciative Ogun State people enjoying infrastructure projects and other dividends of good governance of Prince Abiodun will fully support the re-election of Prince Abiodun and put Senator Amosun to shame once again in his glaring anti- party activities.”
Adeola said that by this statement, the National Working Committee of APC is being alerted of the anti party activities of Sen Amosun in Ogun State and should therefore be wary of his moves and suggestion on any matter.
The Senator disclosed that Amosun was already plotting a repeat of 2019 when he supported APM against his party, APC saying that there was however no cause for alarm because the genuine and majority of the APC members are solidly behind Gov Abiodun’s second term bid.