UPDATED: Amosun’s candidate, three other Rep members defect to other parties

Adekunle Akinlade, the man Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, selected as his successor, has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Akinlade on Thursday formally announced his defection to the Allied People’s Movement (APM).

Mr Akinlade, a member of the House of Representatives, defected alongside three other members of the House.

The other members are Rabiu Kaugama (Jigawa) who moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mohammed Ajanah (Kogi) from APC to PDP and Salisu Koko (Kebbi) from APC to SDP.

Their defections were announced at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Mr Akinlade’s formal defection is coming few days to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline for substitution of governorship candidates.

The Ogun politician was declared the winner in a controversial governorship primary conducted by the Ogun APC chapter backed by Mr Amosun.

However, the national headquarters of the APC rejected that primary and accepted that conducted by a committee sent by the headquarters to Ogun State. The latter primary produced Dapo Abiodun as APC governorship candidate.

The happenings in Ogun has caused a bitter rivalry between Mr Amosun and APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

Mr Amosun is one of the three governors believed to be demanding the exit of Mr Oshiomhole as party chairman.

The Ogun governor not only accused Mr Oshiomhole of injustice, but also accused him of conniving with an ex-Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, and ex-Ogun governor, Olusegun Osoba, to scuttle Mr Amosun’s chances of producing his preferred successor.

Although Mr Amosun, a close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, has pledged loyalty to the president, Mr Akinlade’s defection indicates the governor could support a different party for the governorship election in the state.

The governorship elections across Nigeria are scheduled to take place two weeks after the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 14, 2019.

Although the APC headquarters has set up six committees to resolve the crises occasioned by the primaries in several states. the recent defection of Mr Akinlade shows the committee sent to the South-west has failed to resolve the problems in Ogun.