Details of President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State on Monday emerged on Wednesday as sources said the president gave the embattled governor a stern warning to desist from anti-party activity in the state.
It was gathered that the president, who frowned at the governor’s statement that while he will support him for the presidential election, he will not support the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dapo Abiodun, also warned the governor that they cannot afford to lose Ogun State because it is the home state of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Without mincing words, he told the governor that he expected total loyalty from him to the APC, adding that he should learn to sacrifice his personal desires in the interest of the party.
Amosun’s preferred candidate for governor in the state’s governorship primaries, Adekunle Akinlade, has since left the APC, having defected to the Allied People’s Movement (APM), a move Governor Amosun endorsed.
Aside Akinlade, other loyalists to the governor also dumped the APC.
According to our source, “From the feelers we got, the president did not mince words in telling Governor Amosun that as the national leader of the party, he will not support any form of anti-party activities. He told the governor that he cannot put one leg in APC by saying he will support him, while putting another leg in APM declaring support for another governorship candidate.
“The president told him he cannot claim to be working for the APC while all his foot soldiers have left for the APM and the governor also gave them maximum support.
“From what we are getting, this is the president’s final warning to Governor Amosun as the party’s campaign will kick off soon. Don’t also forget that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has since penciled down the governor for punishment after rebuffing the reconciliation meeting set up to reconcile aggrieved members”.
Since the governor returned to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the euphoria trailing the movement to APM has died down. The leadership of the APM has also postponed its campaign flag off which was scheduled to hold today.
A message sighted by our correspondent from the party leadership to party members reads, “The official flag off of our great party would not hold tomorrow (today) as earlier promised due to some contingencies as work is ongoing in the secretariat. Please bear with us and update others”.
Another source said the governor who is a close ally of President Buhari is now in a dilemma as to whether to remain in APC or join his loyalists in the APM while jettisoning his senatorial ambition.
“I believe the governor is in a dilemma now and we expect him to make a very important decision in the coming days”, he said.
It was gathered that the governor’s associates who are the major backers of the APM may have decided to postpone the meeting so as to deliberate on the next move following the governor’s meeting with the president.
While the governor’s next move is unknown, Dapo Abiodun, the APC governorship candidate, has expressed confidence that Amosun will support his candidacy at the start of the party’s campaign.
“Of course, the governor of Ogun State is the leader of the party. And when I am flagging off my campaign, it is the incumbent governor that would help me flag it off.
“I don’t have any doubt in my mind that the issues of misunderstanding would be resolved soon.
“I am sure the governor of Ogun State will help me in flagging off my campaign. And I am sure he will raise my hands up as the governorship standard bearer of the party in the state.”
