Ogun 2019: Chairmen, Candidates Of 10 Parties Dismiss Endorsement Of APM, Its Guber Candidate By IPAC As Fake

Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta

A total of 10 political parties, their chairmen and candidates, in Ogun State  have dissociated themselves from the reported adoption  of the Allied People's Movement(APM) and its governorship candidate, Adekunle Akinlade,  by the the Intra-Party Advisory Council(IPAC) in the state.

Briefing The Daily Crucible and some reporters in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Wednesday evening, Chief Olusegun Olufemi  debunked the media report  that a slew of 60 political parties have adopted Akinlade as a governorship candidate of IPAC for the 2019 governorship polls.

The IPAC led by it's state  Chairman , Abayomi Arabambi reportedly  led 60 political parties to endorse Akinlade  last week at the APM flag off in  MKO Abiola  Stadium,  Abeokuta.

But Olufemi who spoke on behalf of his  colleagues under the aegis of Political  Parties  Chairmen Forum, Ogun State chapter, dismissed the purported adoption as "fraud," "fake" and an "embarrassment" that shall not stand.

He alleged that other political parties and candidates were not carried along when the adoption was carried out, alleging further that Arabambi and his IPAC excos have  become "bread and butter" politicians in Ogun state.

Olufemi said: "we reject in totality the adoption of any governorship candidate. We urge members of the public to disregard the purported adoption of any political party candidate.

 "Calls have started going round about the adoption of the APM governorship candidate by IPAC. 

"I want to state clearly that we did not adopt anyone since we also have our own governorship candidates. So, we have come here today to debunk any of such claim.

"Ogun state is a state of the elites and such things should not come up.  Members of Arabambi- led executive have  turned themselves to a butter and bread executive.

"We are not part of the APM adoption and that adoption holds no water and it can't stand. 

"After reading the report, we have sent different messages to him to debunk that adoption if truly he didn't but till today he has not done so and that is why we are coming out to debunk it"

The BNPP gubernatorial candidate revealed that the forum had written the national Chairman of IPAC, High Chief Peter Ameh against Arabambi- led exco, detailing alleged infractions of the code of IPAC as inferred with the alleged endorsement of APM and its candidate in Ogun state.

The Forum in the petition dated December 24 and signed by the 10 political parties, accused  the executive  members of the state chapter of IPAC of misconduct, abuse of office and engaging in actions antithetical to the parties constituting IPAC in the state.

"We are of the  view that IPAC executive in Ogun State has  derailed  from  it's  mandates, judging from the recent reported endorsement and adoption of APM guber candidate in Ogun State .

"It is curious and against the tenets of democracy for an executive of IPAC  to unilaterally  adopt  a particular candidate  in  the coming general elections without prior concent of the parties Chairmen," the petition reads in parts.

The political parties in attendance at press briefing include Better Nigerian People's  Party; Freedom and Justice Party; National Action Congress; National Democratic Liberty Party and Masses Movement of Nigeria .

Others are All Blending Party; People's Progressives Party; Advance Congress of Democrats; Democratic People's Congress   and  Progressives People's Alliance.