Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun States has again met with President Muhammadu Buhari alongside his preferred candidate for governor in the 2019 election and candidate of opposition Allied Peoples Movement, Mr Adekunle Akinlade.

The Presidency said the president would only support candidates of All Progressives Congress. It said Mr Buhari however welcomes endorsements from other parties.

Although Mr Amosun is the senatorial candidate of his party, ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), he has vowed to work against his party in the governorship election in the state.

This was after months of faceoff with Mr Adams Oshiomhole led national executive of APC and his inability to prop up Akinlade after acrimonious primaries.

The governor had previously met with Buhari alongside Akinlade and then with national chairman of APM, Mr Yusuf Dantalle. Dantalle presented a letter adopting the president as candidate of the party in the 2019 election.

Amosun and Akinlade again met with Mr Buhari on Sunday at the president’s official residence.

He told State House correspondents that he was at the Villa “to just wish the president a Happy New year” and assure him of their loyalty.

“It is to come and formally say Happy New year to Mr President and to reassure him of our unalloyed support,” he said.

He also said they were at the villa to “tell him (Buhari) that in the coming elections in the contest of South-west, Ogun State will not be left behind”.

“We are going to give him massive votes that have never been seen in the history of Ogun State. That is what we are here to reassure him and of course you see the candidate of APM with me,” the governor said. 

“This is not the first time to come and say hello to Mr President but this is a new year and we just thought it would be appropriate.”

Amosun said Buhari doesn’t need to “still run around” canvassing for votes because “his work is everywhere”.

“Infrastructure is now in place and gradually Mr President is bringing back the middle class; the revolution he is bringing to bear in agriculture, all the social safety nets that he is bringing on board, N-power, GEEP, ‘market money’ and many others.

“People that ordinarily have been running around begging for money are now employers of labour themselves and that is the way to go if we must get it right as a nation,” he said.

Akinlade said Buhari is a “wonderful person” and that he always left impressed after meeting the president.

“What we just tried to do today is to reassure him that what we have done still stands and we are working very hard to make sure that he wins in Ogun state,” he said.

APC candidate, Mr Dapo ABiodun, had earlier also visited Buhari alongside a former governor of the state, Mr Olusegun Osoba.

They also told State House reporters that Buhari had assured him of his support.

Buhari Will Campaign For All APC Candidates

Meanwhile, Presidency in reaction to media inquiries following the repeated meetings of Buhari with Ogun APM candidate said the president will work for all APC candidates.

A spokesperson of the president, Mr Garba Shehu, who issued a statement Sunday said this.

“Following repeated media enquiries on the matter, the Presidency wishes to state in clear and unmistakable terms that as a party leader and a candidate on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming elections, President Muhammadu Buhari will campaign for the party and all its candidates.”

Shehu said this position, does not however mean that Buhari, as the nation’s leader will decline courtesy calls or offers of support from citizens including candidates flying the flags of other parties.

“There is no doubt that the president has no competition here in terms of popularity in the coming elections. But the more support he gets, the wider the margin of victory there will be.

“So please let there be no confusion about this. President Buhari is APC. He will campaign for all APC candidates, but he welcomes support and endorsements,” Shehu said.

PT