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By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has said the declaration of support by All Progressives Congress(APC) northern governors for the Southern region of the country to produce the party’s presidential candidate, prompted him to step down for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Amosun stated this on Thursday while addressing his supporters, who converged at the Alake palace pavilion, Abeokuta, Ogun State, for a welcome rally.
Amosun and other presidential aspirants from the South including governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, stepped down for Tinubu at the APC primaries, held in Abuja.
The former governor, who addressed his supporters both in English and Yoruba, said he was not desperate to be the party’s presidential candidate.
He said he alloted 20 per cent interest to the presidential contest while he gave the remaining 80 per cent to the general interest of the South West and Nigeria.
He said: “Let me tell you this, you sent me to Abuja to go and work for us, I told them when I addressed them why I wanted to be president of Nigeria.
“But my wanting to be president of Nigeria cannot supersede the interest of all of us in Nigeria, all of us in the south, all of us in the South West.
“It got to a point that we realised that our brother governors from the North were even rooting to say they want the presidency to go to the South.
“Then, we say, if we want the presidency to come to the South, then, all of us, we must find a way to unite, we must find a way to drop all these personal ambitions for the overall interest of all of us in the entire South and particularly, the South West.
“I want to be President of Nigeria but my wanting to be president of Nigeria is just 20 per cent, while 80 per cent of it is that the presidency should come to the South West; lo and behold, Almighty God has answered that prayer. Ultimately, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is our flagbearer will be the President of this great nation, Nigeria.
“So, what I want you to do, all the love, all the support, all the prayer that you have been giving to me, continue but, please, extend that support and prayer to our flagbearer, support APC, let us all campaign round because this is the only country that we have.”
Amosun added that except former President Olusegun Obasanjo, no politician from the state either dead or alive had served Ogun State more than he has done.
Amosun, who spent eight years as governor, said he had committed 15 years of his life to serve Ogun State.
“In this Ogun State, since 1999, I am on camera, except for Baba Olusegun Obasanjo, I am not talking of pre-1999, no human being, dead or alive has served Ogun State the way I have served.
“I have done eight years as your governor, by next year it will be my 8th year in the Senate. Just between 1999 and now, I have served Ogun State for 15 years of my lifetime.
“Let anybody that has done that come out, I am not talking of our revered fathers. I accept that there are so many giants that came before me, we stood on their shoulders and we are still standing on their shoulders, but the truth must be told and we must say it.
“Since 1999, Ibikunle Amosun has paid his dues in Ogun State and I am still paying it. Put your mind at rest, we are APC, APC is ours,” Amosun added.