Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Olusegun Osoba, have denied any bad blood between them.
Speaking in separate interviews on Wednesday, Osoba, a former governor of Ogun State, and Amosun, rather preached oneness among party members.
Their admonition came just as Gov. Amosun noted that the ruling APC in the state planned to register an estimated 400,000 party members during the five-day registration exercise of the party, which commenced nationwide yesterday.
Amosun and Osoba further argued that there was no formidable alternative to APC in the Gateway State, even as they assured that APC is the party to beat.
“We are thinking beyond governorship seats – the Presidency is our aim. Our ultimate is to clear everywhere”, Amosun said.
Explaining why he chose to register at Ajura Ward in Obafemi-Owode LG, Amosun said, “Because my mother hailed from this area and when I was young, I used to come with my mother on foot to Ajura village”.
He warned that the party members “should avoid destroying what we have all built”.
The governor added, “The APC is the party to beat; there is no party in Ogun State that can defeat us in any election, either now or in the future.
“It is only ourselves (APC) that can defeat ourselves. We are the party to beat, so we must remain united so as not to defeat ourselves”.
Speaking at his Ago-Oba, Abeokuta Ward 13, Osoba, in response to the possibility of concluding the exercise in five days, said that considering the large number of people expected to be registered, “It is the national office that can determine the need for an extension and that would depend on the field report, so, don’t let us prejudge.
“The essence of this exercise is that we want to be democratic and mobilise people and get our members to be involved in the elections of all officers at all levels, either elective or officers
of the party. We want to re-enact the golden days of our great party, the Social Democratic Party”.
When asked to comment on the recent crisis that rocked APC in the state recently, Osoba, who is the leader of the party in Ogun, tacitly said in Yoruba, “An elderly person turns issues over and over in his mind without saying a word. That is my reaction”.
