A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, has appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, to play the role of a statesman in resolving the controversy over the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state.
The Baagbile of Egbaland made the appeal at the weekend while speaking with journalists on the crisis in APC in the Gateway State.
It will be recalled that Ogun State is one of the states where the APC is having crisis over its gubernatorial candidate with Senator Amosun insisting on his preferred choice, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade as the party’s candidate while the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has submitted the name of Prince Dapo Abiodun, as the choice of the party.
Dr. Majekodunmi said the governor who through his achievements has been regarded as the architect of modern day Ogun State, should not make mistake of a political decision that will consign his name into political oblivion.
According to him, the governor has served the people of the state diligently for over seven years with landmark achievements littering all over the state, stating that history will be kind to him if he allows reason to prevail and work assiduously for the victory of the party both at the state and federal levels.
He maintained that as the leader of APC in the state, he should be the father of all who is delirious of handing over government to a member of the party to continue his good works, insisting that should the governor failed to have his candidate picked as the gubernatorial candidate, his plan B in resolving the controversy should be a total reconciliation with the candidate already picked by the NWC who has publicly announced his resolve to work with the governor, concede some grey areas to him and most importantly pledge to continue his good works in the state.
Dr. Majekodunmi further enjoined Governor Amosun not to play any spoiler game by working against the interest of the APC which he believed he holds dear to heart, stating that the worth of a statesman is championing the interest of all.
He said, “Nobody would dispute the fact that Governor Ibikunle Amosun has become the architect of modern day Ogun State with many landmark achievements scattered all over the state, indeed whenever the history of the state would be written, his name cannot but be in gold. And as the sitting governor, he is a major stakeholder whose views and interest must be important and paramount.
“But as a politician who has always been committed to the APC, I want to sincerely appeal to the governor to see the present issue concerning the gubernatorial candidate of the party as a test of his statesmanship in which the interest of the party must be supreme not only because of the entire members of the party in the state but of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom the governor always hold in high esteem.”
He insisted that the governor has nothing to lose by accepting at the end of the day whoever is the choice of the party whether Abiodun or Akinlade, but will rather gain a lot with the continuation of his good legacy for many years to come, noting that his good name will be a reference for those who desire the best for the state.
Dr. Majekodunmi stated further that Governor Amosun cannot afford to let the party down by playing a spoiler game, warning that doing such can only be counter productive with grave implications for the good name of the governor which he has built over these years as well as the state as a whole.
The Baagbile of Egbaland while emphasising the need for Governor Amosun as the leader of the party to bring every aggrieved member back into the fold to ensure a united front, stated that the party cannot afford to be in disarray with 2019 general elections just few months away.
