Ogun 2023: Why I chose to be Adebutu’s running mate ― Akinlade

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3 years ago

Akinlade

The Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ogun State, Hon Adekunle Akinlade, has stated reasons he decided to run on the same ballot with Hon. Ladi Adebutu, the party’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate.

Akinlade said he chose to run with Adebutu to stop the reelection of Governor Dapo Abiodun and prevent the Lagos West Senator, Olamilekan Adeola, from becoming the representative of his Ogun West at the Senate.

According to him, there was an urgent need to prevent Gov Abiodun from getting a second term if the future of Ogun State is to be secured.

“I decided to run with Hon. Ladi Adebutu for two important reasons. One, to stop Dapo Abiodun from returning for a second term. This state needs to be reset. Since three years, you have not been seeing him, but after the Osun election, he started inviting people. It is too late. He will fail (O ma lule ni).”

The former House of Representatives member also said he would “do everything within the ambit of the law to stop the Lagos West Senator in his bid to be elected as a Senator in Ogun West.”

Akinlade stated this during a meeting he held with his fellow Ipokia Local Government indigenes to brief them about his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, at his Agosasa residence.

Akinlade explained that the APC leadership betrayed his political father, former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, for failing to implement the sharing formula agreed upon by the factions of the party in Ogun, saying that was why Amosun did not stop his foot soldiers from pitching their tents elsewhere.

He said the electoral act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari has put an end to rigging, saying Gov Abiodun, Adeola and other APC candidates will fail in Ogun.

Akinlade described Adeola’s candidacy in Ogun West as a slap on the people of Yewa-Awori and Ogun State as a whole.

He berated Hon Abiodun Akinlade and Gboyega Isiaka for accepting to step down for Adeola when they were handed House of Representatives tickets, saying the two of them will definitely campaign for Adeola, whether directly or indirectly.

“The only thing the duo of Abiodun Akinlade and GNI can do is not to campaign at all. But if they refuse to listen, we will teach them a lesson with our votes. They will lose.

“We are Yewa-Awori. We are special, we don’t accept insults. Adeola’s candidacy is a slap on our face. We need to stop these insults. Even people from the North are calling to condemn this aberration. We must stop it.

“Don’t cast any vote for APC. Give all your votes to the PDP. Let’s prove to them that we won’t allow anybody to rubbish us. We won’t fight anybody, but our votes will speak. They won’t be able to steal our votes like they did in 2019. They will all fail. We will do everything under the law to stop Yayi and to prevent the Eleyi from returning. That’s why I’m on the ballot,” he stated.

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