The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has vowed to work against his party’s governorship candidate in the state.
Mr Amosun, a close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, however, pledged to work for the president’s re-election bid.
He also said he would not leave the APC and would contest the Ogun central senatorial election on the platform of the party next year.
Mr Amosun spoke on Monday in Abeokuta at a stakeholders meeting of the APC which was attended by his preferred governorship candidate and the flagbearer of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Adekunle Akinlade.
The governor ’s declaration came as 26 aggrieved candidates of the APC loyal to the governor announced their defection to the APM.
Mr Amosun said he had tried his best to stop the defection of Mr Akinlade and other aggrieved candidates.
He vowed to use everything within his capacity to ensure the success of Mr Akinlade and other aggrieved members in their new party.
“When these people came, they told me they are leaving the APC, I said ‘no’ but I couldn’t stop them. In fact, Akinlade has my full support.
” I am not going to stop him, everything I have, I will use to support him. Let them try whatever they want to try, we also have our strategies and I am not going to hide behind one finger,” the governor said.
Mr Akinlade won a controversial governorship primary of the APC conducted by the party in the state. However, a panel sent by the headquarters of the party conducted a separate primary which produced Dapo Abiodun.
On Monday, Mr Amosun vowed that he would never support Mr Abiodun’s governorship ambition.
“I remain in APC because that’s what those people want, they want us to leave APC but they are joking.
“ I will stay in APC to ensure that Buhari wins in Ogun State and to let them know that they can’t subvert the will of the state.
“Every day, I will campaign for President Muhammdu Buhari, we will do everything possible to ensure Buhari wins massively in Ogun, but they should not miss it.
“I, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, will not support anyone they are bringing,” he said.
Mr Amosun, who vowed to resist rigging in the state, also pledged to check violence in the electoral process.
The governor’s declaration on Monday puts paid to moves by the APC to resolve its post-primaries crisis in Ogun.
Although Mr Amosun did not reveal the “strategy” he plans to use to support his party in some elections and work against it in others, the current schedule of the elections may work in his favour.
Presidential and National Assembly elections hold first on February 14; which would allow Mr Amosun campaign for himself and Mr Buhari under the APC. He could then commence campaigns for the APM for the governorship election two weeks later.
