Uzodimma To Davido: I’m Not An Osun Voter

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has told Popular musician, David Adeleke, that as a committed member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he is bound to support the party’s candidate ahead of the August 15th governorship election even though he isn’t eligible to vote in the state.

The governor also dissociated himself from a report circulating on social media in which his aide reacted to Davido’s media briefing.

Recall that Davido, during a press conference appealed to a politician from Imo State to allow a free and fair election in Osun State, though many believed he was referring to Governor Uzodimma.

Davido had alleged there were rumours of plans to interfere in the August 15governorship poll.

However, Uzodimma’s Senior Special Assistant on Electronic and Creative Media, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu had via his verified Facebook social media handle said Davido should direct his appeal to Osun voters rather than to Uzodimma.

Further, he had predicted defeat of Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election, saying the electorate had lost confidence in his administration.

However, spokesperson for Governor Uzodimma, Oguwike Nwachuku, in a statement, dissociated the governor from the statement, made by Nwaogwugwu.

Uzodimma said he neither authorised Nwogwugwu nor anyone for that matter to make a comment about Davido’s media briefing.

The governor, who described Davido as his son, said his coming to Osun for the exercise is solely because he is a committed member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and not one of the voters in the State’s governorship election on Saturday, next week or at any other time.

He maintained that the APC had “always canvassed for peaceful, credible, free and fair democratic contests, and in the case of the forthcoming Osun election, will not fail to appeal to the conscience of the Osun electorate to support and vote for the Party’s candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, an act he said is not undemocratic.”

However, the Governor assured Davido that his respect for him and the people of Osun State is not negotiable, reiterating that his coming to the State is solely to monitor the election for his Party, seek support of Osun electorate to vote for APC’s candidate.

He maintained that “it is not new in a democracy in general, and in Nigeria in particular, for Party leaders and members to join their candidates and seek support for them during elections like the one taking place in Osun next week, not as electorate from the same area who are expected to cast their ballot in the process.

“Uzodimma urged Davido, Osun State people and the public to disregard whatever personal opinion Nwogwugwu must have canvassed as neither representative of his nor the position of the Campaign Council which he heads”, the statement read.

The governor said the explanation became necessary to put the records straight to guard against the activities of some mischief makers who were already misinterpreting Nwogwugwu’s personal opinion.

Meanwhile, Nwaogwugwu had issued a statement to say his comments were purely personal and not authorised by the Governor.