Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, the serial defector of Ogun State All Progressives Congress, APC who defected to Allied People's Movement (APM) to become its governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections but returned to the APC after losing the election has again jumped ship to pitch his tent with the People's Democratic Party, PDP.
Akinlade left APC in 2019 after failing to clinch the ticket of the party as its governorship candidate but contested against the incumbent governor of the state, Prince Dapo Abiodun under the flag of APM. He lost the election in a close contest that was nearly a battle royale between the duo.
Since his return to APC not long after the end of the last election , Akinlade has been a pariah struggling to get his foothold in the party where even his political overlord, Senator Ibikunle Amosun hung on only by deft political swordmanship.
Failing to get any significant reckoning in the present political dispensation, Akinlade, a one time senior special assistant to Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the governor of Ogun State, who had favoured him as his successor but failed to get the acceptance of the generality of the party's membership and caucuses has again left for the PDP, the leading opposition party in the state.
The People's Democratic Party, a balkanised party in the state had now offered him the prestigious position of running mate to its governorship standard bearer in the state, Ladi Adebutu.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State seemed unperturbed by this recent defection of Akinlade as the party has said that it would not miss him.
Ogun APC described Akinlade's move to PDP as a "good riddance," noting that it was not in any way surprised by this latest course of action by the former federal lawmaker who once represented his constituency, the Egbado South/Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the House of Representatives on the platform of APC.
In a press release by the party, the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Tunde Oladunjoye, stated that Akinlade's body language and series of clandestine activities had hitherto shown his political directions and and that of his well known sponsor.
Oladunjoye also recalled that the defector once left the APC in 2019 to contest the gubernatorial election of Ogun State on the platform of the now defunct APM; and suffered excruciating defeat despite being backed by powerful state machinery.
Here below is the full text of the press release:
Our attention has been drawn to the reported decamping of a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, from our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his spurious claim that “injustice” by the APC forced him to take this latest decision.
Ordinarily, we would not have reacted if not for the fact that Hon. Akinlade, who once used the platform of APC to represent the Egbado South/Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the House of Representatives, cast aspersions on our great party while lamely justifying his long expected departure.
It should be noted that we are not in any way surprised by this latest course of action by Hon. Akinlade. His body language and series of clandestine activities had hitherto given him and his well known sponsor away. He once left the APC in 2019 to contest the gubernatorial election of Ogun State on the platform of now defunct Allied Peoples Movement (APM); and suffered excruciating defeat despite being backed by powerful state machinery. Although he claimed to have returned to the APC after his loss to Governor Dapo Abiodun at the polls, he was more remembered for playing politics of division in the party rather than contributing to its progress.
That he has again left the APC is indeed, a good riddance. And that he plans to run as a deputy governorship candidate also revalidates our position that Akinlade has never being a governorship material field the gateway state.
That a 2019 governorship candidate has reportedly decide to run as a deputy to a 2019 governorship aspirant, shows a very desperate ambition to return to public office after four uneventful years in the National Assembly.
We insist that Hon. Akinlade has never been a loyal party man. He worked against the interests of APC and it is generally believed within the party circles that he will not hesitate to re-enact his morbid hostility at the slightest opportunity.
Recall that as the APM governorship candidate, Hon. Akinlade signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the factional governorship candidate of PDP, Ladi Adebutu, ahead of the March 9, 2019 governorship election.
This MoU highlighted power sharing deals between the parties as well as the political appointments and infrastructural projects of interest, all in a desperate bid to stop the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun as Governor.
Now that Hon. Akinlade has jumped ship for the second time, is it now clear that his decision might be a move to renew the ill-fated 2019 APM/PDP alliance for the 2023 project? If indeed he was a party man, Hon. Akinlade ought to have remained in the party and work in tandem with teeming loyal members for the electoral success of APC in 2023.
However, we acknowledge the fact that political association is about free entry and free exit. There is no compulsion in membership. We can only wish Hon. Adekunle Akinlade well in future endeavours.
He may have left the APC, but thousands of willing individuals, have freely embraced and are still joining the membership of our great party. Therefore, Ogun APC will not miss serial defectors.
- TUNDE OLADUNJOYE
State Publicity Secretary
Ogun APC
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