As He Celebrates 60, Details Of How Birthday Boy Amosun Edged Out Tinubu To Become APC Leader Emerge

As Governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun celebrates his 60th birthday today – testimonies of how far he has come are emerging.

According to insiders, the reality on the ground is that Amosun is today the leader of the All Progressives Congress in the southwest and not Asiwaju Tinubu.

And his clout and influence are said to even extend beyond the region.

Sources disclosed that the profile of Amosun has so risen within the All Progressives Congress that even Vice President Yemi Osibanjo deferred to him.

Northern governor’s and supposed powerful politicians seek his counsel and interventions on how to get things done in the presidency and the current administration insiders disclosed.

And he has pulled through for quite a number of political and non-political players – and this is in the face of his own ability to get plum appointments for his loyalists as defined by making his former commissioner for finance Kemi Adeosun the Minister for Finance.

Societynow gathered it is this influence that has quietly transformed Amosun into the go-to person and not Tinubu in the present government.

And naturally, make the governor the politician to deffer to in the region -and beyond – and not the troubled “national leader”.

“It is to Amosun’s advantage that Asiwaju Tinubu is engulfed in an intense struggle to remain relevant and those against him, particularly his former loyalists have transformed Amosun into their new source of power and switching allegiance to him” a source disclosed.

Ironically just a few years ago, according to a story told by former governor Gbenga Daniel, Amosun waited hours in his office to get an appointment with then Lagos commissioner Wale Edun to secure a tax collection contract in a government run by Asiwaju Tinubu.

It is believed that the proceeds from the contract secured with the silent support of Daniel served as funds that set Amosun on the political journey of where he is.

But how did he become so powerful in the government of President Buhari?

Sources disclosed it is all premised on trust and care for another.

Before Buhari came to power, when he was not a force to be reckoned with – Amosun was always there for him.

They had such an extraordinary rapport that Buhari stayed in his residence whenever he is in Lagos.

“The care Amosun offered and the kind of interaction they had helped them forge an extraordinary relationship before Tinubu and his co-travellers came with the All Progressives Congress game plan that brought them to power” a source explained.

Insiders revealed that it is to Amosun’s credit that he knows his place when his “older friend” became President.

His ability to respect the office of the President and at the same time retain intimate rapport with President Buhari is said to be what has transformed Amosun into Leader that Tinubu ordinarily should have been.