2019: More confusion rocks Amosun’s camp over DPP defection plot

A lot by loyalists of Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state  to quit the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the little known Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) ahead of the 2019 elections appears to be heading for a doom.

Amosun has made it publicly clear that he will remain in the party but is believed to be encouraging his men to move to the DPP which is ready to offer them a platform to contest the elections.

The governor’s decision to remain in the APC is now being viewed with suspicion by those he is asking to switch camps.

According to a high ranking member of the governor’s camp, some of Senator Amosun’s associates may have misconstrued his intentions, thereby insisting that they will only join the DPP if the governor himself will be jettisoning his membership and senatorial tickets of the APC to move with them into the new party he is allegedly encouraging them to defect to ahead of the next general election.

According to earlier reports, following the refusal of the National Working Committee (NWC) to yield to pressure on it to name Adekunle Akinlade as the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in the state, Amosun loyalists made deals with other political parties, including the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Action Democratic Party (ADP), ahead of a planned defection from the APC.

While a serving commissioner in Amosun’s government allegedly co-ordinated discussions with the DPP, another ally of the Governor, who is also one of the three vice chairmen of the APC in the state, handled the deal with the ADP. But The Nation learnt that the camp settled for the DPP at a meeting held during the week in Abeokuta to conclude the much touted defection plot.

A serving member of the Governor’s cabinet, who also aspired for a legislative ticket on the platform of the APC  told The Nation that the current crisis within the political camp may not be unconnected with growing fears that the DPP expedition may turn out a political disaster, given the unpopularity of the chosen political party and some current political happenings across the state.

The source said:”It is true we are yet to decide on how and when to move to the DPP even though we have concluded that that is the party we will use to achieve the feat of ensuring that Hon. Adekunle Akinlade succeeds Governor Amosun in 2019.

“We have resolved not to take the maltreatment meted to our candidates by the APC without a fight. We want to show our political strength using the DPP as our vehicle.

“But following some developments across the state, even among our core loyalists in the council areas, there is a growing fear that if we don’t manage our defection plan well and work hard to convince people on the reasons we took the step, it may turn out a political error that we will dearly pay for. As we speak, our supporters across the state are divided on whether we should leave the APC or stay put.

“Recent meetings of selected stakeholders across the state constituencies to get the opinion of the people didn’t turn out very encouraging. Majority of our people will only agree to leave APC for any other party if Governor Amosun too will be going with them. They said unless the governor and the entire government will move into the new party with the aspirants and their supporters across the state, the DPP cannot give us good result at the election.”

The Nation however learnt that at another meeting held with the Governor by leaders of his political family, Amosun was told in clear terms by the majority of the aspirants he planned to plant in the DPP that unless he would also dump the APC and move to the new party with them, they would not leave the ruling party. This development, it was gathered, is now unsettling the Governor’s camp.

Another source said:”Nothing is confirmed yet. All you just asked me remains rumours flying around. It is true we have some things to resolve but it is not true our plans are scattered. The governor is yet to say whether he will remain in the APC or not. But we have agreed that our candidates will contest the election with or without the APC. Once the governor decides on what he will do, you will see the true state of things in Ogun APC.

“Those saying Governor Amosun wants to trick them to DPP while he is unwilling to leave APC are political neophytes. All these moves are about strategies and the governor will do what will serve the best interest of all of us. Like he said at the last meeting in Abeokuta, he needs to strongly consider his relationship with President Buhari in whatever decision or action he wants to take. That is one thing some people are quarreling with.”