Ahead of the 2023 governorship election in the State, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, has ignored the invitation of the League of Imams and Alfas for interaction on his agenda for the muslim community for a second term in office.

The just concluded three-day event was organsised by the Directorate of Leadership and Good Governance, and arm of the Ogun State chapter of League of Imams and Alfas, to interact with governorship candidates.

Governor Abiodun who is seeking a second term in office under the banner of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was amongst four candidates who turned down the invitation, amongst 11 candidates invited.

At the programme which was held between last Tuesday and Thursday in Leme, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Governor Abiodun was scheduled for Wednesday which clashed with the APC presidential rally in the State.

The Governor was rescheduled for Thursday, after an intervention from a member of the cabinet who interacted with the organizers of the event.

But the gathering which had in attendance representatives of Islamic organisations and groups from all the four zones of the State was shocked when the Governor did not showed up for the event.

After a session with the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, earlier on Thursday, the gathering was made to await the arrival of the Governor for almost two hours after the contact in government had promised the arrival of the Governor latest by 4pm.

The interaction was out to a former close following the refusal of the Governor to arrive for his session almost two hours after the earlier session.

While expressing disappointment, the chairman planning committee, Quassim Sanusi, said the muslim community was not happy with Abiodun over his absence, as the governor, through his aides, got the invitation to participate in the interactive session.

Sanusi said, “Letter was delivered via the formal channel, Dapo Abiodun campaign office, and acknowledgement obtained by us. We didn’t get any formal request from the APC candidate for a reschedule of the proposed parley with us (and) no notification that he won’t show up.

“The trio of (the candidates) of the NNPP, NRM and ADP received our invitations and committed to the event but did not show up after all.

“In fact, the PDP candidate, Ladi Adebutu, who could have been excused due to the death of his mother, sent his deputy, Adekunle Akinlade.

“We scheduled governor Abiodun for Wednesday, which clashed with the campaign of the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu. We gave him another chance to appear the following day, (Thursday) he never showed up and never got back to us.

“This is disrespectful to the Imams and Alfas in the state. Others did the same.”

The candidates of the Social Democratic Party, Anthony Ojeshina; Peoples Democratic Party deputy governorship candidate, Adekunle Akinlade; Action Alliance, Samuel Adeyemi; Peoples Redemption Party, Cyrus Akinfenwa; Labour Party, Kehinde Sogunle; and African Democratic Congress, Biyi Otegbeye; were in in attendance at different times for the interaction.

The three other candidates who were absent were the governorship candidates of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Olufemi Oguntoyinbo; Shokunbi Olanrewaju of the Action Democratic Party; and Oludayo Ogunrombi of National Rescue Movement.

The spokesperson to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, as at the time of filing this report, was yet to respond to inquiry on why the Governor shunned the sitting.