Twenty six candidates of the All Progressives Congress for the Ogun State House of Assembly in the 2019 general elections have pledged not to defect to the Democratic Peoples Party or any other party if the embattled National Chairman of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole, fails to recognise them as the official candidates of the APC in the state.
The candidates, who claimed to have won the primary election for the state House of Assembly seats conducted on October 7 , 2018 under the supervision of the Col. Ali Ciroma – led State Election Committee, maintained that they did everything possible to make sure that Oshiomhole recognised them as the authentic candidates of the APC for the state
legislature.
They included the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Dayo Adeneye, representing Odoogbolu Local Government; the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Modupe Mujota, representing Abeokuta North Local Government; Hon Ganiyu Musefiu representing Ota II constituency; and Hon. Sanusi Muizdeen representing Imeko Afon constituency, among
others.
Recall that some members of the party who are aides to Governor Ibikunle Amosun allegedly defected to the DPP following the fall out of the primary election in the state, which did not favour
them.
But the APC assembly candidates, who spoke in an exclusive interview through Hon Segun Idowu with our correspondent in Abeokuta, assured that they would not leave the party for the DPP or other parties if Oshiomhole did not recognise their candidacy.
Idowu said that they would rather work as team for the party to take over the state again in 2019.
“We are not going to join DPP or any other political if we are not recognized. We will remain in the party and work for the party. We will explore all possible means to make sure that we are recognised as the official candidate of the party,” he said.
Idowu, who represents Remo North Constituency, expressed sorrow over the rejection of their names and the refusal by the APC national leadership to hand over their candidates’ forms (CF001) to the Independent Electoral
Commission.
According to him, they felt cheated when they heard on national television that on November 2 ,2018 the party submitted names to INEC excluding their
own.
“We feel cheated that we are not recognised as the candidates of the party in the state House of Assembly. We are not going to embark on any protest but we will remain in the party and work for the party,” he
added.
He, therefore, expressed the commitment of the candidates to the party, saying they would support President Muhammadu Buhari to win the state with massive votes in the forthcoming presidential
elections.
