Amosun, Abiodun clash over achievements, abandoned projects

A former governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun, led the campaign of African Democratic Congress gubernatorial candidate in the state, Biyi Otegbeye, ahead of the March 11, 2023 elections on Wednesday.

Amosun said he was sad when he watched the reign of his successor, Dapo Abiodun, and the way things were going.

Amosun said, “Before we left, we had placed Ogun State in the category of grandeur and development. Ogun State, during my time with the support of God and our people, rose from 35th position before leaving to second or third position.

‘Go see where the state of Ogun is today, but that’s not what we’re here to do; we are here to take Ogun State back to that great road.

“Ogun State was once known as a better state, but now look at our education sector, our health sector, our youth employment rate and many others. We’re here to take back the mandate.

“We want someone who can continue what we have been doing. We’re here to take it back. Look at Lagos and other states. Look what they’re doing. i want development; I want progress for Ogun.

Amosun defended his choice of Otegbeye because Ogun West had not produced a governor in the state.

The former governor, who claimed to remain in the All Progressives Congress, said he had not changed his mind about his plans to support only Tinubu, but to go against Abiodun’s ambition for a second term.

He said, “I am APC; when I was in Abuja for the presidential primaries, I said I will do Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but in Ogun State, by the grace of God and the support of all of us in Ogun State, it’s Biyi Otegbeye.

The former governor said his administration has spent N6.9bn on 15 model schools, claiming that the current government has renovated the schools with N3bn.

Ogun government responds

The governor said in a statement titled “Amosun continues to lie as he joins ADC,” issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, that he had lied about Amosun’s claim that he had renovated a model school that had been built for N830m with N3bn.

“As governor, he promised to do everything and did virtually nothing. He abandoned most of them after claiming to have paid 100 percent for it. We are known as a promise-keeping administration. We only promised what we could do and did everything we promised,” Somorin said.

He added that while it was not surprising that Amosun joined the ADC, what was surprising was that he feasted on lies started last week by his new party’s candidate Otegbeye.

He said: “While Otegbeye was impressed by the finesse of the Gateway City Center and put a figure of N7bn on an N350m project, Amosun lied at the flag of the Otegbeye campaign rally that he had completed a model school in Kobape and slammed N3bn down as renovation cost at said school.

“It is a pity that at this age and time, the former governor does not know the difference between turning an abandoned project into a socially desirable Tech Hub.

“Instead of applauding Governor Abiodun’s ingenuity for converting the dying model school into a functional tech hub within three weeks of taking office, Amosun is resorting to blackmail.”