Dapo Abiodun dumps Tinubu, backs Osinbajo for presidency

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state on Tuesday expressed his government support for the presidential ambition of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Abiodun spoke on Tuesday when Osinbajo visited Ogun state to consult stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his decision to run for president in the 2023 general election.

Speaking when they arrived at the palace of Babatunde Ajayi, the Akarigbo of Remoland, Abiodun said the vice-president played a significant role in ensuring he won the 2019 governorship election.

According to the Ogun governor, Osinbajo’s academic qualifications as well as his pedigree serving as vice-president make him the best candidate for the presidency.

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“On behalf of the people, the government of your home state, we are indeed very grateful for all that you did to ensure that there was fairness, equity and level-playing field in that contest that saw us to the government house. God gave us the glory; God gave us the victory despite all odds,” he said.

“Your excellency, your antecedents speak for itself. Ideally, you should just come here and wave to us and go. But you have taken time to remind us of where you have come from, what you have been.

“You are an illustrious son, not just of Remoland but of Nigeria, and one that we are indeed very proud of. On behalf of all of us gathered here today, of which I represent them as a son of Remoland, your antecedents speak for itself.

“If becoming president is by qualification, you’ve earned it. You are in office today as the vice-president of Nigeria. You’ve been in office for seven years. You’ve served your boss meritoriously. You are mature in this office. You’ve demonstrated capacity and capability.

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“As we stand here today, I make bold to say that your state is the industrial capital of this country; we are the religious capital of this country. God answers our prayers quickly in Ogun state. The Almighty God has answered your prayer. We will be with you, stand by you, and give you that support.”

In the buildup to the 2019 governorship election, there was an internal crisis in the APC over the choice of the party’s governorship candidate.

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Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun, had announced Abiodun Akinlade as his preferred candidate.

After much back and forth over the matter, Akinlade dumped the APC after he lost the party’s governorship ticket to Abiodun, while Amosun was suspended from the APC over “anti-party activities”.