A group of protesters under the aegis of ‘Concerned Ogun Citizens’ have stormed the residence of former Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun in Abeokuta, Ogun State, demanding that he join forces with other opposition parties to unseat Governor Dapo Abiodun in the upcoming March 18th election.
Amosun, who has been a vocal opponent of Abiodun and is supporting the candidacy of Biyi Otegbeye from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was met with the group of protesters who carried placards with inscriptions such as “Dapo Abiodun must go”, “Senator Ibikunle Amosun don’t let Ogun State people down”, and “Senator Amosun support us now”. The group urged him to support the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, instead.
The leader of the group, Ajirotutu Oluwafemi, submitted a protest letter on behalf of the group, stating that a strong alliance was needed to defeat Abiodun at the polls. He asked Amosun to drop his support for Otegbeye and back Adebutu.
The protest letter was received on Amosun’s behalf by the Director General of Biyi Otegbeye Campaign Organisation, Muyiwa Oladipo, who assured the protesters that their demands would be looked into.
The upcoming gubernatorial election in Ogun State has been a highly contested one, with Amosun and Abiodun’s political rivalry taking center stage. Amosun had previously supported Abiodun during his campaign for governor in 2019, but their relationship turned sour after Abiodun became governor and allegedly sidelined Amosun’s loyalists in his government.
Since then, Amosun has been a vocal critic of Abiodun’s administration and has thrown his support behind Otegbeye’s candidacy. However, with the PDP’s Adebutu gaining momentum in the polls, the protesters believe that a strong alliance between opposition parties is necessary to unseat Abiodun.
The PDP has also expressed their desire for Amosun to join forces with them, with Adebutu stating that “the whole of Ogun State is waiting for Senator Amosun to join us so that we can collectively rescue the state from the hands of the inept and clueless administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun.”
The Ogun State government has yet to respond to the protest, but tensions are expected to continue to rise in the coming days leading up to the election. The people of Ogun State will have the final say on March 18th, as they cast their votes and determine the future leadership of the state.