Abiodun was rigged into office in 2019, he needs to go - Amosun

The immediate past governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has said his successor, Governor Dapo Abiodun, won the 2019 election by rigging.

Amosun had gone all the way for his preferred candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, who contested on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), against Abiodun who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, Abiodun trounced Amosun's anointed candidate with a convincing margin of 19,517 votes.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recorded 241,670 votes for Abiodun while Akinlade polled 222,153 votes.

Over three years down the line, the Senator representing Ogun Central has now claimed that his friend-turned-foe, Abiodun, was not the original winner of the election.

Amosun made this known in Abeokuta while speaking after receiving an award from the Abeokuta Club to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the association on Friday, August 5, 2022.

He said, “During the last election, thank God, Chief Osoba is here, I have said it, we won convincingly. They rigged, rigged, and ended up with 19,000.

“Some of them came to apologise to me. I can be mentioning names. We won that election. But I have moved on. We did our work, we will continue to do what we have to do. God will be with all of us,”

Speaking later in an interview with newsmen, the former Governor declared that he was not in support of Abiodun’s administration, insisting that he must be kicked out come 2023.

Amosun said he had put the event behind him because those who masterminded the rigging have apologised to him.

“Well, I am happy. When you are in a place and they are telling you that you have done the work of four or five governors altogether. I feel elated. I am happy that they appreciated our little efforts.

“Just wait, very soon, you will hear where we are going next. Clearly, you know my stand, and my stand is my stand. I am not supporting this administration that is there now. He must be removed,” the former governor said.

Pulse reports that Amosun's anointed candidate in 2019, Akinlade, has emerged as the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, ahead of next year's election.