Prominent politicians in Ogun State have dismissed reports alleging that chieftains of the All Progressives Congress had adopted consensus governorship aspirants for South-West states, describing the claim as a “desperate and misleading attempt” to manipulate the political process.
The stakeholders said the narrative, which surfaced in a national daily, was aimed at deceiving other aspirants into abandoning their ambitions ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
They insisted that any attempt to impose candidates under the guise of consensus would fail, stressing that provisions of the amended Electoral Act clearly spell out the conditions for adopting consensus candidates.
The controversial report had claimed that party leaders, after a purported meeting with President Bola Tinubu, settled for the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat; Senator representing Ogun West, Olamilekan Adeola (popularly known as Yayi); and Senator representing Oyo South, Sharafadeen Alli, as preferred candidates in their respective states.
Reacting, a chieftain of the party, Dr Akin Ogunsanwo, dismissed the report as a fabrication orchestrated by politicians wary of a transparent primary process.
He clarified that contrary to the claim, the President was not physically present at the meeting where such discussions were allegedly held.
Ogunsanwo expressed concern that what he described as a routine post-Ramadan courtesy visit to the President was being twisted to promote “toxic and misleading narratives” capable of discouraging genuine aspirants.
Similarly, an APC member in Abeokuta, Mr Adio Opeloyeru, said the report was riddled with inconsistencies that discerning observers could easily identify.
He argued that Tinubu would not be involved in any consensus arrangement without the participation of critical stakeholders, including state party leaders and aspirants.
Opeloyeru also accused the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, of attempting to influence the political direction in Ogun State in favour of Adeola.
According to him, Bamidele had recently visited the state, appealing to stakeholders to accept Adeola as an indigene and support him as a consensus candidate.
He said, “The permutations being pushed for Ogun State are not feasible. This appears to be a continuation of the Senate Leader’s agenda. His recent visit, where he canvassed support for Yayi, was met with widespread resistance, including from top government officials and party stakeholders.”
He further dismissed insinuations that Governor Dapo Abiodun had been pressured into endorsing any aspirant, describing such claims as “laughable and unfounded.”
“The report was clearly spun to create the impression that the governor had been coerced into adopting a particular candidate. That is far from the truth,” he added.
In the same vein, the Ogun West Renaissance Movement rejected what it described as an “orchestrated attempt” to impose an “imported politician” on the Yewa people.
In a statement signed by its coordinator, Amos Adegbite, the group maintained that it would only support a candidate that emerges through a credible and democratic process.
The group emphasised that the people of Ogun West remained politically aware and would resist any external imposition, reaffirming their commitment to a transparent primary election.
Stakeholders across the state reiterated that the race for the Ogun governorship ticket remains open, warning against attempts to undermine internal democracy within the party.
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