Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Ogun West consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kabir Adekunle Akinlade, on Thursday, said if given the party nod and eventually wins the governorship election, he would run an all inclusive government.

Akinlade, stated this while addressing party faithful at the APC State Secretariat in Abeokuta, shortly after he was officially presented by Ogun West Elders Council, to members of the state executive committee of APC.

The state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had on Wednesday, disclosed during APC stakeholders meeting, that a consensus candidate from Ogun West, would be announced yesterday.

The Ogun West Elders Council, led by Muhammed Olagbaye, on the wee hours of Thursday, had announced Akinlade, who is a House of Reps member representing Egbado South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, as the party’s consensus candidate from the zone.

Akinlade, who was a former Special Assistant to Governor Amosun on Taxation, said he was only a chosen candidate of Ogun West, noting he would still need to surmount the hurdle of party primary. He, however, called for support of other aspirants from Ogun West to ensure the zone picks the gubernatorial ticket.

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He further noted that Ogun West would embark on persuasion and rapprochement moves to Ogun East and Central to garner their support, stressing if given the mandate, he would continue the developmental strides of the incumbent administration.

But speaking with newsmen after the event, the state chairman of APC, Derin Adebiyi, insisted that the had party zoned the governorship to Ogun West and Akinlade is the party’s candidate.

He flayed any zone of the state that fails to respect party’s decision and maintained that Ogun APC’s guidelines must be followed by any loyal party members.

“The party in the state has zoned the governorship slot to Ogun West. So, whoever Ogun West brings as far as we are concerned is our candidate. Way back in 1999, in order to pacify the Southwest, major political parties in Nigeria, gave their presidential slots to the zone. That was how we had Obasanjo and Falae in PDP and APP respectively.

“There must be party discipline and loyalty. If we say we have zoned to Ogun West, others should follow the party guidelines. We have discussed this with Ogun East and the zone has agreed, but some claimed the party didn’t inform them of our decision to zone the position to Ogun West.

“Tomorrow (Friday) by 10a.m, the governor will be meeting with all APC aspirants from Ogun East to iron all this out, but as far as we are concerned, as a party, we cannot do otherwise on the issue we have agreed. We stand with Ogun West.”