The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Friday, visited the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and pledged to support the former Lagos State governor in winning the 2023 presidential election.
Abiodun who disclosed this on his Twitter page on Friday said his visit for the party’s presidential flagbearer was to congratulate him on his victory at the APC primary.
The PUNCH reports that Tinubu scored 1,271 votes to defeat his closest contenders, Rotimi Amaechi and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday.
Amaechi obtained 316 votes while Osinbajo polled 235.
He contested against 13 other aspirants – Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mr Ahmed Rufai, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Mr Jack Rich, Governor Ben Ayade, Governor David Umahi, Senator Ahmed Yarima, Dr Ahmed Lawan, Osinbajo, Amaechi, Governor Yahaya Bello and Mr Ogbonnaya Onu.
Nine aspirants had earlier stepped down, eight of whom asked their supporters to vote for Tinubu, while one asked his supporters to vote for Osinbajo.
Those who stepped down before voting began were Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Robert Boroffice, Ken Nnamani, Ibikunle Amosun, Dimeji Bankole, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and Godswill Akpabio.
Sharing a picture of the visit on Friday, Abiodun said, “I paid a visit to our national leader, @officialABAT to congratulate him on his emergence as the presidential candidate of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, @OfficialAPCNg
“I also gave our assurances of support in the next political process that has now begun ahead of the 2023 presidential election.”
The PUNCH reports that Tinubu had on June 2, 2022, while addressing the Ogun State APC delegates at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, said without him, Abiodun would not have been elected governor of Ogun State in 2019.
Referring to Abiodun in his remarks, Tinubu said, “This one sitting behind me here, could not have become governor without me? We were at the stadium, they tore all his posters. Even the party flag, they didn’t want to hand over it to him, I was the one who brought it.
“If he wants to meet God at the right place, he must know that he would not have become governor without God and me.”
In his remarks, Abiodun who had earlier declared his support for Osinbajo’s candidature refused to endorse Tinubu.
He told Tinubu that delegates from the state would do “the right thing” at the convention.
Abiodun described Tinubu as a political warrior, serial winner and strategist.
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