The list of politically related themes that can excite average Nigerians enough to make them pump their fists into the air is very small. However, in the last eight months, this list has been shuffled repeatedly. Nevertheless, decamping usually tops the list, mostly because of the implications that accompany every instance of this party-switching occurrence. Senator IbikunleAmosun, who has become the centre of attention for Nigerians as they contemplate and gamble on the possibility of his decamping from the All Progressives Congress (APC), is a case study.
Loyalty to a political party in Nigeria is usually developed around alliances. For the former Governor of Ogun State, this is a time of testing. The speculation around Amosun’s strained membership in the APC is coming at this time because his very close ally and good friend, AdekunleAkinlade, has once again dumped the APC. According to the reports, Akinlade is now a proud card-bearing member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
For those in the know, this is not the first time that Akinlade will cast aside his APC membership in favour of his political ambition. In 2019, he failed to get the party’s gubernatorial ticket and had to watch DapoAbiodun take the governorship title. This was after he left the APC for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and still failed to beat Abiodun. Then he returned to the APC, all with Amosun’s help. Now that he has dumped APC for PDP, what will Amosun do?
Indeed, it is widely known that Amosun always supports his people. He did that for Akinlade in 2019 when everybody else was on Governor Abiodun’s side. The question now is whether Amosun will join Akinlade in the PDP or will be appeased by APC with something good enough to bring Akinlade back to the party. It is either that or Amosun has to work against Akinlade in the PDP, which the Senator representing Ogun Central senatorial district in the National Assembly is not likely to do.
Whether Amosun will leave the APC for the PDP will be revealed in time.
