Who Will Gov. AMOSUN Pick As Successor?

• That Is The Big Question In OGUN State
• As 10 Aspirants Join OGUN Guber Race

That is the question on the lips of most politicians in Ogun State as the race for 2019 Ogun governorship race hots up. Many are eager to know who Gov. Ibikunle Amosun will support.

So far, Governor Amosun has kept mum and he has not shown preference for any one, though many of his political associates are being rumoured to be interested in the race. Some of them are even believed to have started work on the projects.

Already names like Senator Gbolahan Dada, from Ado-Odo/Ota. He is the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial district. He is being touted as Amosun’s political candidate, but he has not made open his ambition.

There is also Giwa Biodun Onanuga, a successful real estate player and husband of current deputy governor of the state. Since his wife went into politics a few years back, he has taken an active interest in APC politics in the state. He is from Ijebu-Ode where he is a Otunba Abimbola Ashiru’s name has been mentioned. He is the current Commissioner for Commerce in the state. He is a close associate of the governor and one of his core loyalists from the popular Ashiru family in Ijebu-Ode, Otunba Bimbo has the full backing of the Awujale of Ijebuland.

The name of Senator Lekan Mustapha, a former Senator from Ogun East has also been mentioned. Though he is in PDP, the former Senator, who is from Ijebu Igbo is very close to the Governor and the |Governor has not hidden his friendship with Senator Lekan Mustapha.

When Senator Mustapha’s father died a few months back the Governor promptly visited Ijebu-Igbo, immediately he received the news. The Governor stormed Ijebu Igbo in a big way to  greet him and also attended the 8-day fidan prayers.

There are those who feel that the governor is predisposed towards fielding an Ijebu candidate. We hear though he would have preferred a Yewa person to run, he does not want to ignore the moves being made by the Ijebus to make a bid for the coveted seat.

Amosun, an Owu man from Egbaland is about to end his 8-year term and the Ijebus are making a strong bid for the governorship.  The Awujale of Ijebu is also in full support for an Ijebu to become the next governor.

But many people are looking beyond the governor in the direction of the strong candidates who have come out like Otunba Rotimi Paseda (from Odogbolu) who is running on the platform of UPN. At the last General Elections he came 3rd. We hear Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (from Imeko Afon) is also in the race. He ran the last time and came 2nd. He is seen as a strong candidate.

Another strong candidate is Lagos Senator, Adeola Olamilekan Solomon (popularly called Yayi). He is from Ilaro. He is equally seen as a strong candidate. He is stupendously rich. He is an Accountant like the incumbent governor and has the full backing of the godfather of APC politics, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Of course, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, who is a current House of Reps member has intensified his interest in the race. He has consulted widely and he is spending big. He is believed to have a big war chest. Don’t forget that he is the son of Chief Kessington Adebutu, popularly called Baba Ijebu. His father has also met with all the big stakeholders in the state from former President, Olusegun Obasanjo to the Awujale. Though Ladi is from Iperu Remo, he is coming out from Odogbolu, his mother’s hometown when he is a big chief.

Senator Olorunibe Mamora is also in the race. He was a 2-time speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly. He was a 2-term Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly. He is from Ijebu-Ife, Ogun East.

He is a strong candidate. He was for very many years an Asiwaju loyalists in Lagos until news broke early this year that all may not be well between them because his name was dropped during cabinet considerations at the federal level.

But who Amosun will support is very key. Whether the person will be coming from either Ijebu or Yewa is  equally  key.

A few weeks back  Amosun revealed in the media that 7 persons had shown interest to become governor of the state in 2019, but there was no quality of a would-be-governor in any of them. The governor was said to have boasted that: “Although, I do not know yet who will succeed me come May 29, 2019, I certainly know those who won’t be governor in Ogun State.” He was allegedly to have said that in Abeokuta during a meetingwith APC, Ogun State members of National Assembly caucus meeting added that the seven aspirants are simply wasting their time and resources.

The governor however, denied disparaging the leader of the All Progressives Congress and a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. In the alleged meeting which attracted state APC executive council, the governor noted that Tinubu had stood by him when he needed him, and he would continue to defer to him. The governor was reacting to the alledged audio revelation emanating from a group within the party believed to bé loyal to a governorship aspirant which went viral on the social media.

In the allegedly audio recording of meeting held the governor was said to have disparaged Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and allegedly hinted on how he (Tinubu) would bé disgraced before 2019. While refuting disparaging the APC national leader, Amosun said ,”What happened was that we wanted to have a parliamentary caucus. And we said we would be having it quarterly but we discovered that our commissioners were not there and the elders of the party too must be there. “It wasn’t our normal meeting it was just the parliamentary caucus meeting.

“Well, but for me we should be happy, that some people are afraid of whatever we do and that is why they are running helter skelter. “If there are cowards or traitors somewhere trying to record or do any other thing, those people can not do anything. “But let me say this and I have been saying it all the time, that we might not be able to say clearly now who becomes the next governor but we know those who will not be governor. The governor while denying the allegations that he used the state money to fund Ondo election, said “In Ondo, we have won, we will continue to win.

If they have money, let them keep it, when there is time for us to spend money, we will spend very well for our people, we will go round and say this is it and this is what we want to do, we are no cowards, we will spend money, we will not steal money, don’t bother yourself that they are writing this, they are writing that. “They told me there are three candidates, if they don’t know I will tell them, people that have told me they want to be Governor are now seven and I know that all of those seven, no Governor there, the ones that can be Governor, when the time comes, we will tell our people.

“I know that they don’t have responsibilities for governance, don’t let them distract us because they mention it and I am here in person that is why I am just saying that so they should be ready, even all our people whether state Assembly, whether members of the House of Representatives, senators, if you want to be something, when the time comes we will know,” Amosun said