PDP will take over Ogun State in 2023 - Amosun's Ally Akinlade

Ally of former Ogun State Governor Adekunle Abdulkabir Akinlade, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 general election, recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he is now the running mate of PDP gubernatorial candidate Hon. Ladi Adebutu. He explains to Associate Editor DARE ADEKANMBI why he made this decision and what to expect in the state's 2023 elections.

You were recently unveiled as Hon Ladi Adebutu's running mate on the PDP platform, ending your APC membership. What really drove this decision?

By the grace of God, I am today the candidate for Deputy Governor of PDP in Ogun State. For those who understand the politics of Ogun state very well, they will realize that with all the happenings in our state today and the strategic position of the different areas of the state in terms of data on the origin of votes in the 2019 election, the majority of votes came from Ogun Central followed by Ogun West and Ogun East. I have come to the conclusion that since the outgoing Governor has passed one term, myself and Hon. Ladi Adebutu are very clear on our common objective, which is to prevent Governor Abiodun from running for a second term. And once two people have the same goal, it will be easy for them to collaborate and that is what it is. We both sat down and reviewed our position and came to the conclusion that we had the same goal and that it was easy for us to compromise and make sacrifices between us. So I decided to accept the offer to be his deputy. I'm really proud of the opportunity I have today to be the running mate of such a great man with a big heart.

Some people would say that you made the decision to get rid of APC in a hurry, that you didn't exhaust the internal conflict resolution mechanisms before leaving for PDP.

I don't understand what you mean by conflict resolution. To be very clear, I won the 2018 guber primary but then it was manipulated by the National Working Committee led by Adams Oshiomhole. We went to APM and ran on that platform and I'm confident I won the 2019 election but the results were rigged. We went up to the Supreme Court and after the Supreme Court judgment returned to APC in December 2019. Between then and May 2022, no one at APC saw fit to settle the case and I met members of the party's current NWC. So I am not recognized in the party, like many other people who are wronged. The APC constitution is very clear about joining and leaving the party. This means I can join and leave whenever I want. So I didn't have any conflict with anyone and I didn't fight anyone there. We paid for the delegate forms, got our scrutineers, but the whole list of delegates was handed over to the incumbent, which was undemocratic. About five of us went for the primary and the officials chose to score us zero, all of us except the homeroom. It showed how superficial the primary managers were. Since it happened, the party has never put my name on the congress committee. I ran for the highest state office of state governor. So there was no basis for a reconciliation as far as they were concerned and I had no problem with anyone. So, I came to the conclusion that I was not wanted in the party and decided to make a choice. Politics is a matter of interest. So I left APC and switched to PDP.

In 2019, you wanted to be governor. But in 2013, you play second fiddle in PDP as opposed to your aspiration to be the number one man in the state. Doesn't that sound like a demotion to you?

For me, politics is not an end, but a means to an end. For those who see politics as their livelihood, they might see it that way. But for me, it's really all about service. The reality in Ogun State today is that for a man from Ogun West to be Governor and run against someone from Ogun East or Ogun Central, it is next to impossible for the person of West to win. For those of us from Ogun West the best shot we ever had was in 2019 when Senator Ibikunle Amosun gave us full support and we had the ward level structure in the state before Oshiomhole don't do what he did. I am a political scientist and student of power. So, I have come to the conclusion, looking at our situation in Ogun West, that for Ogun West, it is better for me to be halfway there if I want to be Governor of Ogun State than to come from outside and say I want to be governor. That is why this decision was made. I have to do what is necessary and what is smart. Politics is about being smart, not being driven by pride or ego. You have to look at things logically and you have to take action and when you see the opportunity you have to seize it. As a political scientist, I've learned that when the goal...