Ogun Guber Primary: Amosun Accuses Tinubu, Osoba Of Electoral Fraud

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The post-congresses crises of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has worsened as the Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has taken a swipe at the party’s Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and a former Governor of the state, Aremo Olusegun Oshoba, over alleged complicity in electoral fraud in the South West State.

Amosun accused the two party leaders of “conniving with a cabal in Lagos” to write a fake result which produced Dapo Abiodun as the party’s candidate for the 2019 governorship election.

Governor Amosun made the accusation Monday in an interview shortly after swearing-in of the new Chief Judge of the state, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, in his office chamber at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

He alleged that the silence of the two party leaders, who were aware of what transpired in the state with respect to the primary, smacked of complicity.

Amosun said, “The President already knows there was no election in Ogun State. He knows that they just went to Lagos; wrote all results and that what they did was fraud.

“If the National Working Committee or the National Chairman said there was any election in Ogun State, it was all fraud. That is what I said.”

He insisted that the only primary which held in the state was the one which Adekunle Akinlade won to become the party’s governorship candidate.

The Governor restated, “Mr President already knows there was no election in Ogun State other than the one we held.

“The issue of Chief Osoba and Asiwaju and co, what we said was that there was a definite silence from their end, and silence means consent. You can record me and publish it in your newspapers.

“We have not heard one word from any of them. Was there any election in Ogun State? ‘Yes’ or ‘No?’ They should come out and those that are hiding behind one finger, they cannot come out?”

He added, “People at this level should be courageous enough to take position, to come out, to come and tell us whether there was election.

“On Governorship, the day they said they did it or not, the one that we had, there was live telecast, people even witnessed it. They all came that they are changing again.

“They removed Leke Adewolu, Mikail Kazeem. All of those ones are nothing but fraud.”

Not long after the swearing-in, about 200 APC councillors in the state staged a protest demanding that the party’s NWC should recognize Adekunle Akinlade as the party’s governorship candidate.

The councillors, who were armed with placards with various inscriptions, stormed the Arcade Ground within the state secretariat at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, around 10am.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, ‘We want justice in Ogun APC’, ‘Give us Triple A’, ‘Oshiomhole, Osinbajo, we want justice in Ogun State’ and a ‘Minority cannot take charge over majority’, among others.

They were said to be on solidarity visit to the seat of government to register their demand with Amosun. .

Ogun APC Chairman, Chief Derin Adebiyi, later addressed the protesters. He said, “We have seen all the messages on the placards. I want you to remain steadfast in your demand, nothing negative will happen to the mandate you have given to Akinlade.

“The elders and party leaders are looking into the matter. I want to urge you to continue to be peaceful, don’t fight anybody.

Almost about the same time, some groups namely, Ogun Progressive Students, Ogun Youth Assembly, Coalition of Ogun Traders, among others, organized a counter-protest.

The protesters who converged at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat, Oke Ilewo, urged Amosun, to accept the party’s decision and support Dapo Abiodun as the party’s the governorship candidate.

The groups on their part condemned what they termed the “determined mission of Amosun” to drag the hard-earned integrity of Ogun State through the mud.

They were led by the convener of Ogun Progressive Youths and students, Adeyemi Azeez; convener of Movement for Secure Nigeria, Abdul-Kabiru Ayoola; and the Secretary, Ogun Arewa Council, Idris Muhammad.

They also carried placards with different inscriptions, some of them read, ‘Adams Oshiomhole don’t compromise,’ ‘Protect our mandate,’ ‘Don’t compromise, Dapo Abiodun is our man,’ ‘Don’t kill democracy, the voice of the people must be heard, Amosun beware!’. / The Punch