Barrister Biyi Otegbeye, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and anointed candidate of a former governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, has suffered a setback.
In spite of enjoying overwhelming support from Amosun, Otegbeye is not in the good books of prominent members of the ADC in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, his home-LGA, so much that they appear to have turned their backs against the governorship ambition.
After collapsing its structure, the leaders of the ADC announced that they had joined the All Progressive Progress, APC and they pledged support to Senator Solomon Adeola, the APC Senatorial candidate in Ogun West and others. Numbering over 500, the defectors were led by Alhaji Hassan Ajibola, the Yewa South Coordinator of ADC, to meet Senator Adeola at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Empire Field in Ilaro, Ogun State where they all declared their interest for the APC.
At the event, Alhaji Ajibola downplayed the potentials of the ADC, stating that the party hardly stood a chance of making an impact in the forthcoming General Election. He said it was a waste of time to support Otegbeye’s ambition because the party and its candidates were not involved in governance at any level in the country.
Lauding Senator Solomon’s efforts in terms of infrastructural development and empowerment of the people across party lines, Ajibola added that the women and youth leaders of the party in Yewa South LGA had also left the ADC.
This is not the first time that Otegbeye’s political ambition will suffer a setback. He was recently reinstated by an Appeal Court in Ibadan as the governorship aspirant of the ADC after the Labour Party (LP) and APC separately dragged him to court for non-compliance with the Electoral Act in the conduct of their primary elections. A Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State had earlier disqualified him after Labour Party and APC filed a lawsuit against him. The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove Otegbeye’s name from its list. However, the Appeal Court overruled the judgement and reinstated him.
Also, some traditional rulers led by His Royal Highness, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, the Eselu of Iselu in Ogun State stated that some royal fathers in Ogun State will not support his candidacy. Oba Akinyemi noted that traditional rulers in the state had agreed to back the Ijebu to clinch the governorship seat in 2023. They have thrown their weight behind Dapo Abidoun, who is an Ijebu man, in his re-election bid and there is no going back on their words.
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