2023: Gov Abiodun didn’t support me, I won’t back him too — Ogun lawmaker

A former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Dare Kadiri, has said he will not to back the second term ambition of Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2023.

Kadiri, who represents Ijebu North II State Constituency on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), declared that his opposition to Governor Abiodun’s re-election bid was in the best interest of his constituency.

The lawmaker, spoke at weekend when the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

“During one of our meetings, Governor Abiodun said he does not trust me because I am working with former Governor Ibikunle Amosun and that he will not support me politically. Therefore, I too will not support him in 2023,” the APC lawmaker stated.

Kadiri explained that though, he remained in the APC, he would partner with any candidate among opposition parties that is sincerely prepared to engender good governance and accommodate the collective interests of his people.

He claimed that despite working for the emergence of the incumbent governor, his constituency has been marginalized in terms of political appointments, projects and other dividends of democracy.

The lawmaker also berated Abiodun over alleged failure to properly handle the crisis rocking the state chapter of APC, noting that a lot of party members were currently disgruntled and disaffected by the governor’s leadership style.

He said, “the main concern of everybody is about the progress of Ogun State and to have a better and much desired Ogun State. The consideration should not be about party, but about credible personality like what we have in Ladi Adebutu. This is a person that is not controversial. His certificate is not controversial. He was never involved in any scandal.

“Anybody that is hiding something will have a lot of things to cover up. I will not support Governor Abiodun.

I have seen and read a lot of things on the social media that we are decamping. No, we are not decamping. Concerning the issue on ground, party doesn’t really matter now. We want to look at personality because this is about the collective interest of Ogun State.”

It will be recalled that Kadiri was impeached as Deputy Speaker in March 2021 over alleged gross misconduct, a development the lawmaker’s aggrieved supporters have since blamed on Governor Abiodun and the House of Assembly Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo.

Kadiri also attempted to contest the APC primaries for a House of Representatives ticket but the governor allegedly backed another aspirant who eventually emerged and became the party’s candidate for Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency.

Speaking at the meeting, Hon. Adebutu contended that Governor Abiodun had performed poorly and lowered the bar of governance over the last three years, stressing that well-meaning people across party lines must work together to rescue the state from his maladministration.

The PDP candidate said people of the state have another opportunity in 2023 to correct the mistake they made in electing the Abiodun-led administration in 2019.

He accused Abiodun of abandoning township and rural roads across the state, adding that grassroots development had also suffered severely under his administration.

Adebutu said, “In the area of security, our governor has failed. In education, he has failed. In agriculture, he has failed. Name any sector. The only thing he has done is to rehabilitate federal roads because he would get refunds.

“There is nothing wrong for somebody to make mistake. But if one makes mistake, one should be ready to correct it. This is a golden opportunity to correct our mistake. The people of Ogun State must correct their mistake and elect a new governor in 2023.”

The governorship candidate noted that when electioneering campaign begins, his party would roll out the poor scorecard of the APC administration.

Adebutu, who was accompanied by some PDP chieftains, apparently visited the APC lawmaker to woo him and his supporters ahead of next year’s gubernatorial election in the state.

Those on his entourage included a former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Tola Banjo, former Commissioner for Community Development, Prince Lekan Tejuoso, former Sagamu Local Government Chairman, Hon. Daisi Akintan, Alhaji Tele Ogunjobi, Barrister Bola Kalejaye, Prince Akin Onalaja and Hon. Bola Oluwole, among others.