Taiwo POPOOLA
Former Ogun State governor and two-term senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ibikunle Amosun, has insisted that he never asked or pressured aspirants to withdraw from the 2027 senatorial race.
Recall that a stakeholders’ meeting of the Ogun Central Senatorial District was held in Abeokuta on Thursday to deliberate on the possibility of adopting a consensus candidate.
According to reports from the meeting, Amosun had reportedly listed three aspirants as having agreed to step down for him.
This, however, led to a backlash and the aspirants denying having any conversation or agreeing to step down for the former governor.
Reacting to the incident on Sunday, Amosun, in a statement by his media office, described such claims as “misrepresentation” of proceedings at the meeting.
According to the statement titled, “Ogun Central APC Meeting: Setting the Record Straight – Amosun”, the former governor stated that it would be undemocratic and unacceptable for him to request anyone to withdraw from the race.
The statement reads, “My attention has been drawn to media reports about a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun Central Senatorial District held last Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the residence of Chief Olusegun Osoba on the nomination of candidates for the 2027 general election.
“Many of the accounts of the meeting were a complete misrepresentation of the proceedings. The meeting was convened at my instance when there were insinuations about my candidature for the election.
“At the meeting, I recalled that three senatorial aspirants from the district had visited me to seek my support for their candidacy and that each of them volunteered that if I were interested in contesting for the office, they would withdraw their candidacy.
“Nowhere throughout the meeting did I request anyone to withdraw from the race for me because that would be undemocratic and unacceptable.
“I wish to reiterate that I am not only a democrat, but I have also contested and won election twice to the office of Governor of Ogun State and twice as a Senator of the Federal Republic. What I said at the meeting, which I reiterate, is that I would not be part of a primary election whose result is predetermined.
“I advise the media to report the proceedings of meetings correctly by cross-checking accounts given by interested parties”, the statement concluded.
