Akinlade returns to APC after failed governorship bid

The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the Ogun State governorship election Abiodun Akinlade has announced his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akinlade’s return to the APC comes barely days after the Supreme Court dismissed his petition to challenge APC’s Dapo Abiodun election as governor of Ogun State.

The court said on Wednesday that Akinlade failed to prove his allegation against the governor.

The Justice Yusuf Halilu-led governorship election petition tribunal had on September 14 dismissed Akinlade’s petition and affirmed declaring Abiodun as the winner of the March 9 governorship election.

Upholding the decision of the lower tribunal, the appeal court on November 11 also dismissed the petition.

But Akinlade said the decision was unanimously agreed by elders and leaders of the APM, whom he said met at the weekend for a review of the entire process.

“Our conviction and believe in the legal system is unshaken despite the two previous judgments. On November 15, 2019, elders and leaders across the state met and unanimously agreed that we must approach the Supreme Court to test the strength of our case,” Akinlade stated.

After the loss at the Supreme Court, Akinlade said he had consulted and agreed with his followers on his return to the APC.

Before his defection from the APC, Akinlade was the preferred successor choice for former governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Amosun disagreed with the APC primary election result that declared Dapo Abiodun as the governorship candidate for the party.

Akinlade, backed by Amosun defected to the APM to achieve his gubernatorial ambition.

In an intense season of campaigns, Amosun opposed the APC and Dapo Abiodun’s governorship bid for Akinlade, who he said was the right man to take over from him.

At APC’s mega campaign rally in Abeokuta where Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari was to solicit votes for the party, Amosun urged the people to only vote APC for the presidential election and vote Akinlade, APM candidate for governor.

These led to the APC national working committee led by Adams Oshiomhole to suspend Amosun for anti-party activities before, during and after the elections.

Unrepentant of their decision to oppose Dapo Abiodun’s election as governor, neither Amosun or Akinlade has accepted the governorship election result that brought in the current government in Ogun State.

But on his return to the APC, Akinlade said he and his loyalists left the party due to an alleged injustice done to them by the APC national leadership.

He, however, said it became imperative for them to set their grievances aside and return to their party.