Ogun APC: I moved motion on guber candidate to save my life – Oladunjoye

In less than 24 hours after moving a historic motion at the Oke – Igbein Government House, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for the adoption of Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Ogun State Senatorial district arm of the party, former Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Tunde Oladunjoye, has said he was forced to do so.

Oladunjoye, an activist and journalist, revealed that he moved the motion for the purported endorsement of Akinlade  to “save” his “life,” having sensed that it is under “threat.”

The former APC chieftain from Ogun East who tersely notified The Nation that he has left “the party and politics”  to face his professional practice (journalism), did not disclose the nature of the threat or the source, but indicated that the state Chairman of APC, Chief Derin Adebiyi,  did call him to a side  and “whispered” into his ears that he “must praise the Governor and move motion of endorsement, else dire consequences” fall on him.

Since the emergence of Akinlade from Agosasa in Ipokia, Ogun West, last week as the consensus candidate of the APC, and following the acclaimed earlier zoning of the APC 2019 governorship slot to the zone by the party, there have been protests  from across the state over the choice gubernatorial candidate.

The disagreement, it was gathered, was precipitated by the claim among party members that the Federal lawmaker representing  Egbado South and Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State on the platform of APC, was unilaterally picked by Governor Ibikunle Amosun and foisted on Ogun APC members in manners that shut or bullied others out of the governorship race.

But Amosun had maintained the candidature of Akinlade and candidates was based on a consensus method allowed by the constitution of the party.

He advised  that whoever is not comfortable with the arrangement was at liberty to contest it at a “direct primary” to be organised the party on the set date.

And in what appeared like a desperate bid by the Governor to douse the tension and also confer popular acceptance on  the emergence of Akinlade as consensus governorship candidate of the party, APC members from across the three Senatorial districts were invited to Abeokuta for a meeting where each of the districts at different times, took turn to  endorse the candidature of Akinlade.

On Saturday which was the turn of the Ogun East, they were ushered into a hall where the State Party chairman presented Akinlade to them, demanding if they were accepting or rejecting him as the party’s consensus candidate, after he had reminded everybody of the zoning of the governorship slot to Ogun West.

Speaking on behalf of the Ogun East senatorial district, the senatorial party chairman, Alhaji Bayo Yakub, said the leaders and members of the senatorial district, agreed with the zoning arrangement and called for support for the governor.

The Ogun East APC later endorsed him through a motion moved by Oladunjoye and he was supported by the Majority leader, Ogun State House of Assembly, Yinka Mafe, who represents Sagamu 1 Constituency.

Yakub admitted that there were dissenting voice to the choice of Akinlade but claimed that some of the dissenters were not genuine members since they are not card carrying members of the party.

But Oladunjoye in a statement has since disclosed that he moved the motion under “duress” and yielded to the pressure of threat in order to preserve his life.

“Purported endorsement of Hon. Abdulkadiri Adekunle Akinlade as Ogun State APC “Consensus Candidate” by Ogun East Senatorial District APC: I was threatened  to move the funny motion.

“Myself and other leaders of Ogun East Senatorial District of APC invited to an emergency meeting at the Government House Oke Igbehin this(Saturday) morning for 10am

“On getting there the Governor decided to have a meeting with the Senatorial District Executives. Since I was not a member of the Senatorial executives, I was outside waiting along with others.

“At a point, the Governor sent the Party Secretary, Hon. Dare Ogunde to call me in. I was surprised and as I got in I wondered why I was invited as I met the meeting rounding up to go to the underground hall of the Government House Okeigbein.

“When the issue of Ogun East having to endorse the “Yewa Consensus Candidate” was raised by the Senatorial Chairman, Alhaji Yakubu, I raised my hand to speak after few speakers have spoken.

“As I stood up to speak, and in the open, the  State Party Chairman Chief Derin Adebiyi called me in the presence of everybody to come to the other side of the table where he sat with other leaders and whispered into my ears that I must praised the Governor and move motion of endorsement, else dire consequences await me.

“It was a threat I never expected and right there at the Government House, I had no choice than to do so-called endorsement under duress, as my life was under threat. As a trained journalist, I was taught of  “safety first.”

“As I left the venue, I realized that I have to first secured my safety before making any clarification. Arriving at my new location now, I want the whole world to know that I NEVER made any intentional endorsement but was threatened to do so. This clarification became necessary to put the records straight.

“I challenge the party leaders and Governor Ibikunle Amosun to bring out the raw video of the meeting. Even when I said  it was the Governor who called the meeting, Chief Derin shouted back at me and insisted openly that I should change it that it wasn’t the Governor that called the meeting. All these were on tape, even as the Commissioner for Information, Chief Dayo Adeleye, was ditching out orders that no one should take photographs or record video.

“In a situation like this, I consider safety first. The general public should kindly disregard any purported moving of “motion” by me. It was a set-up backed with the force of threat.

“I am also announcing my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), to face  my professional calling fully as I have a second office address and cannot continue to endure with political shenanigans.

The charade of a motion was witnessed by nothing less than 15 print, broadcast and online journalists, including State Correspondents of leading national dailies and I call on them all as witnesses.

“I thank the party and the Governor of Ogun  State for the opportunity given to me to serve the state previously. Please join me and my family in your prayers,” he stated.

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