Of all the six states in the southwest, Ogun, unarguably, is the most sophisticated when it comes to politics. It is a state where pedigree matters. Apart from the governorship position, other contestants into any elective positions in the state, are not only always cerebral, their antecedents also come handy when canvassing for the people's votes.

So, when jostling for the governorship position in Ogun started to gather momentum, particularly with the insistence of the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, that his successor would emerge from Ogun West senatorial district, not few political watchers expected Amosun to present best of the best from the axis.

But when the time to choose a 'consensus' governorship candidate from Ogun West came, all the names suggested to the governor by the leaders from the zone, were rejected by Amosun, giving one reason or the other to justify their disqualification. According to a source who was part of the process, Tolu Odebiyi, led the pack of a possible governorship candidate, followed by Biyi Otegbeye, while the Speaker of OGHA, Suraj Adekunbi, came third.

But the governor, who had since settled for Akinlade, personally complained that the leaders did not even take his own interest into consideration when choosing the governorship candidate. It was there and then he informed them that Abdul Kabir Adekunle Akinlade, was his own candidate and ordered the leaders to go ahead to announce him to the party.

However, what played out after the unpopular emergence of Akinlade as the then APC governorship candidate, is known to Ogun people.

Who is Akinlade?

Abdul-Kabir Adekunle Akinlade is an Anango man from Agosasa town in Ipokia local government. He served as SA on Taxation to Governor Amosun between 2011 and 2015 when he won election into the House of Representatives, to represent Egbado South/Ipokia federal constituency.

He studied at the Lagos State University (LASU) where he was said to be a member of a secret cult -Eiye Confraternity. While at LASU, Akinlade involved in notorious activities with his cult group. He later traveled abroad, where he was also involved in a financial scam and was arrested. In order to escape being jailed, Akinlade, jumped bail and ran back to Nigeria.
In a futile attempt to erase his past, the Allied People's Movement (APM) governorship candidate, tried to alter his look and even changed his Islamic name from 'Tajudeen' to 'Abdul-Kabir'.

At the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service, Akinlade was alleged of fraud and appeared before a panel of inquiry. It was equally gathered that the governor himself called him a "big thief" and subsequently ordered his arrest.

Why did Akinlade suddenly become Amosun's anointed son?

Like it was earlier stated, Akinlade was not in the consideration of the governor, but the security background check he personally ordered, revealed dark secrets of Akinlade. And to a governor who was looking for a political weakling and a person with dirty past as candidate, he saw Akinlade as his perfect choice.

Apart from that, he (governor) wanted a person who would allow him to have access to the treasury, even when he is out of office. No wonder, the governor expressed his readiness to expend his resources to ensure Akinlade becomes governor.

His desperation to cover his financial mismanagement as governor, at all cost, made him to damn the consequences of APC hammer and declared that he would work for APM and not for APC.

The Voodoo angle

Apparently not trusting Akinlade completely, the governor took a step further by swearing to an oath and entering into a covenant with his preferred candidate.

According to an insider who is in the know, Governor Amosun and his anointed candidate used a foetus, which was prepared as concussion, which was eaten by the duo to seal their covenant.

Planned deduction of N2b from Ogun IGR

Apart from expecting Akinlade to cover his financial mess, Amosun and his APM flag bearer, another source disclosed, have perfected plans on how N2b from the Ogun State IGR, will be siphoned monthly by Akinlade for his godfather. Also, major contracts will be automatically reserved for Governor Amosun.

Similarly, Akinlade, if he emerges governor, will help Amosun perfect and approve documents for his property scattering all over the state, especially The White House inside the GRA Ibara, which according to findings, is yet to get approval. Akinlade's brief also includes ensuring that the mess created by the sale of the governor's 13-storey office complex located at Ibara Roundabout, to the Ogun State Property Investment Corporation (OPIC), is cleared.

Conclusion:

Having explored the reasons why Governor Amosun is hell bent on Akinlade for governor, voters in Ogun State should reject Triple A and APM for the following reasons:

1. Akinlade will be the unofficial third term of Amosun in office,

2. As a godfather of Eiye Confraternity, cultism across the campuses will breathe a new lease of life and therefore constitute a security threat to the state,

3. The state treasury will be in jeopardy as Amosun will still have the key to it via his 'son'

4. The debt burden of Ogun will continue to rise as juicy and billion naira contracts will be awarded to companies which have link to Governor Amosun

5. Akinlade's past as a scammer will have a serious effect on the financial and economic development of the state,

6. Amosun's influence on Akinlade, will hamper delivery of good governance, while civil servants and organized labour will continue to be persecuted a la Amosun's way,

7. Akinlade's administration will be an appendage of Amosun's Mission to Rebuild, which has brought untoward hardship on the people and plunged the state into humongous financial local and international debt.