By Tunde Ajose
The emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in a state does not mean that the party’s gubernatorial candidate would have an easy ride. This was what the election held on 23rd of February threw up.
If it were so, the pundits who had predicted a loss for the executive governor of Ogun State in the last election would have taken the crown.
But unfortunately for them, the paid analysts and their paymaster, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu’s projection fall flat on its face, as the governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun despite all odds, seamlessly clinched the Ogun Central Senatorial district mandate.
The odd included the alleged Tinubu bankrolling the African Democratic Congress candidate, Titi Oseni, who pulled a meagre 37,101 votes as against Amosun’s 88,110 votes.
Despite the anti-party activities of the so-called APC’s party national leader, which was meant to work against the election of Buhari in the gateway state and put the blame roundly at the door of the governor, Amosun was able to ensure a huge success for votes gotten for the president.
It then came as no surprise, that in order to get back at the governor and make last attempt at ensuring they won something after many defeats at bringing the governor to disrepute, the National Working Committee of the ruling party suspended Amosun from the party.
This latest action goes to show the desperation of Tinubu and the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, in handling the affairs of the party and digging the grave for the eventual destruction of the party.
Their first attempt was to disgrace the president by making statements to incite the crowd at the presidential rally organised in Abeokuta, the state capital few days before the election.
This little group of disoriented conspirators has forgotten that the relationship between the governor and the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria goes beyond politics as both shared father and son bound way back before the so called lion of Bourdillon and his handbag, former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, suddenly woke up that it was only an alliance with the upright former general could secure their lifelong dreams of a national political relevance.
And come next Saturday, Tinubu’s puppet in the Ogun State gubernatorial election would be beaten roundly again as the people’s choice is Abdulkadir Akinlade, a candidate flying under the umbrella of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM.
Tunde Ajose, a political analyst, writes from Lagos.
