..As He Dumps APC FOR PDP
Weeks after falling short of picking the Ogun state governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former House of Representatives member, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, has joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), becoming the deputy governorship candidate of the party in the 2023 elections immediately.
He will run with Ladi Adebutu, the Ogun PDP governorship candidate.
Akinlade, who had ran for governor under the platform of APM in 2019, lost to Governor Dapo Abiodun of the APC.
He later returned to the APC after the election and the political crisis in the Ogun APC that followed it. The crisis had pitted him and his godfather — former Governor Ibikunle Amosun against the incumbent governor, Abiodun.
But in a surprise move, Akinlade, who had also lost bid to become Ogun West Senatorial candidate of the APC in 2023, was unveiled as a PDP member on Friday afternoon at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta.
He was welcomed into the party shortly after the meeting which lasted about two hours with the state Chairman, Sikirullahi Ogundele, presenting the PDP membership card to Akinlade.
He was in company of his aides and the former Deputy Speaker, Tola Banjo.
He immediately went into a closed door meeting with the state executive members of the party, as well as the Ogun PDP gubernatorial candidate, Ladi Adebutu.
Akinlade was immediately gifted the party’s deputy governorship ticket.
It would be recalled that Akinlade resigned from the APC last week.
Akinlade, who is a close ally of former Governor Amosun of Ogun State, said his decision to dump the party was as a result of the failure of the national leadership of the APC to settle the rift within the party in Ogun.
Akinlade, in a letter addressed to the State Chairman of the APC, the former House of Representatives member maintained that he could not in good conscience continue to participate in a process that is characterised by injustice.
In his acceptance speech, Akinlade said, “This decision was not an easy one to take. It might not be the most popular decision to take, but I believe it is absolutely necessary.
“Where we have found ourselves today in Ogun State, the maladministration in the state needs that every sensible indigene of this state must be ready to make sacrifice, must be ready to do whatever it takes to change the course and the trajectory of government come 2023.
“In 2019, I ran for the governorship of this state under APM and my brother and this great party, PDP, stood by me and it reflected clearly in the result of that election.
“We will do everything we can to make sure that this party becomes victorious come 2023. We will work morning and afternoon, we will work in the night, we will work round the clock. We have done it before under 90 days, now we have seven months to do this.
“I have sat down with everybody, I have gone round, I have consulted. Like I said, this was not an easy decision. Things are falling apart in the state, people are being killed, cultists have taken over the state.
“I know what my role is as the deputy governor, I will stand with you, I will stand by you and I will stand behind you. I will give you my advice where necessary, but it is your prerogative to take the advice but I will do my best to make sure that PDP claims victory.”
