Loyalists of former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun have concluded plans to refloat the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) ahead of the 2023 elections.
A businessman, an insurance expert and a former governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Biyi Otegbeye, has been picked to be the governorship candidate of the APM.
Otegbeye, a law graduate of the Lagos State University, is the Managing Director, Regence Alliance Insurance Plc from 2011 till date.
It was gathered that APM will adopt Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC as its presidential candidate.
Amosun floated APM in 2019 to push for the candidature of Adekunle Akinlade as his preferred governorship candidate.
This was after Akinlade’s failure to clinch the ticket on the platform of APC in the State.
Amosun who was on the ballot for Ogun Central Senatorial District on the platform the APC, openly led the APM campaign across the State.
Akinlade came second in the election after securing 222, 153 votes behind Abiodun’s 241,670.
Amosun on Friday alleged that the 2019 election was rigged in favour of the incumbent, Dapo Abiodun and that those who rigged the election against his candidate had apologised to him.
Akinlade has since defected to the opposition party Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the deputy governorship candidate of the party.
Akinlade’s defection which has polarised the political family of the former governor and the people of Ogun West Senatorial District.
Akinlade and Otegbeye slugged it out with Abiodun during the APC governorship primaries with both scoring zero vote.
A source who is closer to the former governor confirmed that plans have been concluded to refloat APM again.
“Yes, APM is the deal; we are not going to the PDP and be rest assured that we are ready for the game. We are putting finishing touches to the plan, and not too long from now, the state will see where we are going,” the source said.
Asked if the decision to refloat APM, few months to the election, was not too late, the source added: “By November, you can ask the same question and we will see if it is too late or not, thanks.”
The party plans to use the substitution window provided in the timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to replace place holders across board.
It was further gathered that some members of the state House of Assembly who lost their primaries under APC were already talking to the APM for possible slots.
Hon Kolawaole Lawal, a member of the House of Representatives representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal constituency and a former member of the House of Representatives, Mukaila Kassim, are some of the teams being put together by the APM.
While Lawal, popularly called KLM is seeking a return ticket from the same federal constituency, Kassim who represented Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda has moved to Abeokuta South federal constituency to slug it out with other candidates.
credit- Westernpost
