Ogun 2023: My Movement To PDP Noble, Necessary- Akinlade

The Deputy Governorship candidate on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Hon. Adekunle Abdulkabir Akinlade, has given a vivid insight on the rationale behind his movement from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the PDP.

According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on new media, Comrade Owolabi Ajibola, the copy which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta on Sunday, Akinlade, in the exclusive interview granted to cross sections of media on Friday revealed that the decision to walk away from the abode of his former political family was borne out of necessity and noble intentions.

According to the statement, the 3-hour long interview, which touched on various topical issues of concern, such as his political future, the costly price of his principal’s presidential aspiration, in- house attempts to overturn his nomination, the inherent manipulations and subversion of APC leaders, coupled with lack of transparency and accountability on the part of APC at the National level. He also added that the last straw that broke the camel’s back within the camp of SIA was the inordinate ambition of both the Nigeria Ambassador to the UK and the 2019 APC House of Reps candidate in Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency.

“The seeming selfish skimmings and political chicanery of these individuals implicitly brought down the political dynasty of the former two term governor before my subsequent intervention”, Akinlade said.

Akinlade further revealed that both men exploited their closeness to SIA to plot and plant several landmines for him, adding that they erroneously underestimated his courage to make logical political calculations that significantly changed the trajectory of events towards the 2023 general elections.

He said, “The flaw in the political permutations and manipulations of the duo is that they ignorantly mistook my calmness, obedience and loyalty to my mentor as political naivety”.

“Both the Egba born Ambassador and Ilaro born, Insurance executive, took advantage of the former governor’s vulnerability caused by his Presidential aspiration, thus forcing his hands against what would have been a masters stroke after all the humiliations we all suffered in the APC.

“If the leadership had unambiguously told SIA loyalists to seek alternative political platforms to actualize their political aspirations after the failed 2022 APC primaries, why are they so bent on bringing me down ? the shocking fact is that I am not even the Guber candidate but a nominee on a ticket”.

“These accidental later-days evangelists of SIA should be blamed for the crack in the wall of our political structure”.

Akinlade concluded that, contrary to what his distractors would want the people to believe, his timely decision to secure the PDP deputy governorship slot actually held up a lifeline for the SIA political structure, adding that the interview became necessary to set the records straight and put issues in the right perspectivces for posterity sake.

Meanwhile, his media adviser, through the statement promised that the complete excerpts of the interview will be published soonest.