Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State is in confusion over who to support for the 2023 presidential race between former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
While his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has launched a support group named, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Movement’s Working Committee in Ikeja, Gov Abiodun has maintained sealed lips over who should be the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) between Tinubu and Osinbajo.
Though Osinbajo is yet to declare his ambition like Tinubu, there are strong indications that the Vice President is seriously interested in taking over from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
A source, who pleaded anonymity said that “Gov Abiodun is currently in a tight corner over who to support between the two APC leaders.”
The inner source informed that the governor got the support of both Osinbajo and Tinubu to emerge the governor of Ogun in 2019, adding that “declaring support for either of them will amount to betraying the other.”
Aside from the 2019 support, Abiodun is said to be careful in his choice as he is also ‘struggling’ to get his second term ticket for Ogun 2023 governorship race.
Our correspondent gathered that Abiodun would have loved to support Osinbajo, who hails from the same Ikenne Local Government with him.
However, the Iperu-born politician is reportedly mindful of the fact that Tinubu, as the national leader of the APC, may end up being the candidate of the party.
He is also said to be mindful of the interest of President Buhari, who recently said he would keep his favourite successor a secret so that he would not be eliminated.
Meanwhile, an appointee of Gov Abiodun, Gboyega Isiaka, gathered his followers in Abeokuta to declare support for Osinbajo, fuelling speculations about where the interest of the governor lies between the two.
Isiaka, a three-time governorship aspirant in Ogun State is the Chairman, Board of Directors of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone Limited, Igbesa.
Though Abiodun did not show any knowledge of the gathering organised by his appointee, there are insinuations that Isiaka may have the nod of the governor.
Saga Gist recalls that Gov Abiodun once declared his support for Tinubu in February 2021 when he received a delegation of the South West Agenda (SWAGA) in his office in Abeokuta.
At the meeting held with the SWAGA group, Abiodun called on leaders of the APC to ensure that Tinubu becomes the presidential candidate if he declared an intention to run.
At the time, Abiodun said he supported a power shift to the South West in 2023.
But, when he was asked to comment on zoning last week, Gov Abiodun said it is President Buhari who will offer guidance on the parts of the country the APC should zone its chairmanship and 2023 presidential tickets to.
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