The former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has dumped the Governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun, for governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Biyi Otegbeye, in the 2023 elections.
Both Abiodun and Amosun are chieftains of the All Progressives Congress.
Abiodun, who took over from Amosun in 2019, is seeking a second term in 2023 on the platform of the APC.
Amosun broke his silence on who he will throw his support to in the coming election in the state, saying he will be backing Otegbeye in the next election against Abiodun, while he pledged his support to the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
He declared his stance during an exclusive interview with BBC Yoruba which was monitored by PUNCH correspondent on Monday.
Amosun said, “For the presidential poll, I can assure you, both right, left and centre, we are supporting one person (Tinubu). I believe we are supporting one person. On the governorship poll, that’s a different ball game. I don’t belong there.
“For the governorship, that is different I don’t hide behind one finger to fight. That’s why people say to me ‘don’t say that.’ On governorship, my supporters and I, we don’t belong to that side. I do not support APC on that side, Biyi Otegbeye is the person I am supporting and ADC is the party.”
Both Abiodun and Amosun had been at daggers drawn prior to 2019 elections over the governorship ticket which went to Abiodun.
Amosun had thrown support to his anointed candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, who ran on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement.
Akinlade, who lost by 19,000 votes to Abiodun had, however, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, and was made the deputy governorship candidate of the party.
Amosun’s latest candidate, Otegbeye is from Ogun West Senatorial district and is a managing director at Regency Alliance Insurance PLC.
