..as Buhari escapes being hit by plastic bottle
Supporters of Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the gubernatorial candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, Hon Adekunle Akinlade in Ogun, on Monday, stoned and booed some members of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress at the campaign rally of President Muhammadu Buhari held at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta,the state capital.
The supporters armed with plastic water bottles had earlier chased away the supporter of the APC’s governorship candidate in the state, P,rince Dapo Abiodun to vacate their seats from the stadium following the crises between the APC and the APM in the state.
The crisis between the two parties began in the wake of the fall out of the APC governorship primaries which produced Abiodun as its authentic candidate, thereby rejecting the candidacy of Akinlade, the anointed candidate of Amosun, who later emerged as governorship candidate of APM.
The supporters began booing some members of APC’s leadership including its national leader, Asiwaju Tinubu,; former Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola and the National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, shortly after the two former governors spoke against anti party activities of Amosun and APM in the state.
Both Aregbesola and Oshiomhole accused Amosun of hypocrisy by supporting Akinlade, the lawmaker representing Egbado South and Ipokia federal constituency and rejecting the candidacy of Akinlade while still pledgeing support for Buhari and contesting for his senatorial ambition on the platform of APC.
They however called on the people of the state not to lose their votes by voting for any other party except the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari Buhari on February 16 and also vote for its candidate in the state, Abiodun on March 2, for the governorship election.
Aregbesola said, “We have hypocrites among us; we are APC members, we do not know another party, those who are involved in another party are deceivers, we came here to meet our president and we will vote for our president next Saturday but on March 2 we must vote for APC.”
While Oshiomhole said “Ladies and gentlemen I have come here to solicit the support of the people of Ogun state for our presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari and my responsibility is to present the APC candidate, Dapo Abiodun”.
On his own part, Governor Amosun however bemoaned some members of the APC, accusing them of being the masterminds of the crisis rocking the two parties in the state, just as he urged the people of the state to vote for Buhari for the presidential election and Akinlade for the governorship election in the state.
He said “I want to appeal to all of you when it concerns President Muhammadu Buhari, we know all of us in Ogun state are for him. We are voting for President Muhammadu Buhari because he is our father and we are supporting him based on his performance.”
Speaking, Buhari who was shielded from security offices from plastic bottles hauled at him after he raised the hands of Abiodun as the APC governorship candidate in the state, however called residents the state to vote for whichever candidates of any political parties they want to vote for in the forthcoming presidential and governorship election.
The President said “I admit you to practice your civic right to come out next Saturday and on the 2nd of March to choose whoever you like across the parties.
“This is your right so there’s no problem about it, I have no problem about it,and you shouldn’t have problems about it.”
Other who graced the event included the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Former Governor of Osun state, Bisi Akande, Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, among others.
