Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has revealed that his erstwhile political godson, Adekunle Akinlade, decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP against his advice, saying he and others were not patient enough.

The former Governor who is also the Senator representing Ogun Central at the National Assembly, further revealed that he told Akinlade and others not to join the PDP or else would publicly disown them.

Amosun said he was constantly assuring his followers of his moves to discuss their interests with the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, revealing further that he rejected his senatorial ticket for their  interests.

“Yes, we were together, (Akinlade), like I told you, when a wise person is troubled, he would be controlled by the fool. If we say this is where we are, we all need to be calm and be patient, all of us know what was happening as it pained Akinlade, all of us were also pained.

“And every day, we give assurances that we have reported to all that matter, we met with the National Chairman and the Deputy like eight times, and I will tell them that for Ibikunle Amosun, there is nothing I want again, I have been blessed by God and I am thankful for the grace.

“I have been in the senate for the first four years, with the grace of God, I was the governor for eight years in Ogun State and after that, what has not happened in Yorubaland, I was the only Governor who completed his tenure and was voted into the Senate, others who tried failed, I am not mocking them. This is enough grace from God.

“I am saying it openly, I told them I was not ready to recontest either as a senator or as Vice President. When the matter was being settled, I was offered my Senate ticket and it was like deceit. I told them they should accommodate my people instead of my own Senate ticket. I ask that some of them should be given the Assembly ticket and National Assembly tickets.

“We didn’t request for everything, we have like 40 (elective positions) and we were requesting for like 17 or 18 (tickets), but they refused. What then should I tell the followers? One of them that is not patient enough (Akinlade) was the one who took that decision.

“I was calling them and cautioning them that ‘what I am hearing, if it is true, don’t take that decision’, I even warned that if they take the decision, I will publicly distance myself from such decision. If we say this is where we are, at least we have the President we want to work for, be patient.”

HorizonTimes had exclusively reported how Governor Abiodun rejected the sharing arrangement proposed by the national leadership of the Party with a view to finding solutions to the APC crisis in the State.

​Abiodun said he was never presented with such agreement by anyone.

Amosun recalled the 2019 election, saying he stood solidly behind the Allied Peoples Movement.

He added that Akinklade won the election but was rigged out.

“During the last election, I told them I will work for President Muhammdu Buhari, but for the Governor, I said I won’t follow the party, it wasn’t hidden, I stood solidly behind APM, whatever they say, I will say what is in my mind.

“That election, Akinlade won but was rigged, but that has gone, they all know, all those who are involved know what they did and I am saying it again, we won, but God knows best, this is another opportunity.”

Akinlade had moved to the PDP where he was offered a Deputy Governorship ticket after he lost the All Progressives Congress to Governor Dapo Abiodun in a primary marred by controversies.

Amosun cautioned that the defector should not negotiate with his name of his political structure.

The former Governor further reiterated his earlier stand that he will not support Dapo Abiodun on his re-election bid, but will do everything possible to ensure the victory of the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“For the Presidential Election, I can assure you, all of us belong to the same side, even if there are four factions, we are all working for the same purpose.

“But for the Governor, I am not hiding, I don’t belong to where APC is, I am behind Biyi Otegbeye, ADC is the Party. I am not hiding under a finger and that is what my people would say that I shouldn’t have come out openly, but this one, I am already in the open.

“I am still in APC, I am not leaving the APC but I have the right within the political space to support whoever I want. You don’t want to see me, you’re destroying my people every now and then and you want me to support that, it is not possible, we are not bastards.

“We are not God, when they want to reproach, you know how it is done, they will manipulate from all angles. But I am saying it again today, ‘I am not God’. For the presidential election, I will give it all it takes but for the governorship, I have a governorship candidate I want to work with and we will appeal to the people of Ogun State to follow him.”

He also promised to lead the campaign of the Action Democratic Congress, ADC, in the State, saying, “If you have not heard, when we start, I will be solidly behind the ADC in the State, whoever is not satisfied should say whatever they want, I will listen, but I am not a greenhorn in politics, God has favoured me in politics, Alhamdulillah.”