LAGOS – Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s dream for a second term suffered a major setback on Saturday as major stakeholders in the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) endorsed Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the position.
This was the outcome of a marathon meeting of the party’s Governor’s Advisory Committee (GAC), major stakeholders and leaders, chaired by the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, which lasted from 10.am till late in the afternoon on Saturday.
Senator Anthony Adefuye, one of the party’s major stakeholders, who stood in for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stated this at the party’s stakeholders’ meeting at the APC State Secretariat, Acme Road, Ikeja, even as he announced the official withdrawal of Dr. Obafemi Hamzat from the governorship race.
He said that Hamzat stepped down from the race, endorsing Sanwo-Olu for the position.
He also announced that the party’s governorship primaries, earlier slated for today (Sunday) would now be held on Monday, October 1.
Adefuye’s announcement received mixed reactions from thousands of the party’s members, who had assembled at the psecretariat as early as 9.am and waited till about 4.30 pm when leaders’ decision was made public.
While thousands of Ambode’s supporters went home in shock, Sanwo-Olu’s follwers were thrown into jubilation at the secretariat.
Both Ambode and Sanwo-Olu’s supporters had since early morning been singing and dancing in groups, each trying to out-do the other.
But, as the crowd were leaving after hearing the leaders’ stand, some of the Ambode’s supporters, were openly seen lamenting that what transpired showed that the future might be bleak for the party in Lagos.
Earlier, Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat addressed a press briefing in Ikoyi, Lagos, during which he (Hamzat) announced that he was stepping down for the former.
Lagos Lawmakers Adopt Sanwo-Olu
Members of Lagos State House of Assembly on Saturday adopted Babajide Sanwo-Olu as candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the party’s governorship primary election.
It would be recalled that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, who had been seeking a second term in office, had been at loggerheads with the party’s stakeholders in the state.
Mrs Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Publicity and Security, said in a statement that the lawmakers had resolved to support the governorship ambition of Sanwo-Olu.
Tejuosho said the decision was taken at a parliamentary meeting at Lateef Jakande Auditorium in the House of Assembly Complex on Saturday under the chairmanship of Mr Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker.
Tejuoso said out of the 40 members of the House, 36 were present at the meeting and endorsed the decision, adding that the statement was duly signed all the lawmakers.
Tejuosho said the lawmakers were in agreement with the party’s leadership and the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), which had earlier endorsed Sanwo-Olu for the governorship ticket.
Ambode’s second term ambition has been facing opposition within his party following speculations that he had fallen out of favour with his political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu was alleged to be supporting Sanwo-Olu, a former commissioner in the state, who had already declared his intention to contest the governorship on election on the platform of APC.
Analysts view the development as a trying political season for Ambode, who has since announced his readiness for the party’s direct primary on Monday.
Local government chairmen and former council Sole Administrators in the state were among groups rooting for Sanwo-olu to succeed Ambode in 2019.
Hamzat Steps Down For Sanwo-Olu
Dr Obafemi Hamzat, one of the major contenders for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Lagos, on Saturday, stepped down for Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Hamzat’s withdrawal left Sanwo-Olu and the incumbent Governor Akinwumi Ambode, as the only contenders for the party’s ticket in its primaries, which had been shifted to Monday.
Hamzat, also a governorship aspirant of the APC in 2015, was a Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos.
Hamzat, who addressed newsmen in the company of Sanwo-Olu and some supporters in Lagos, urged his followers to vote for sanwo-Olu in the party’s primaries.
Hamzat said his decision to step down for Sanwo-Olu was borne out of the greater good for Lagos, than the benefit of an individual.
“After due consultation with my numerous supporters and in deference to the wise counsel of those I consider my political mentors, I resolved to step down from the governorship race.
“Apart from the fact that I can vouch for his personal integrity, great humility and extraordinary intelligence, Sanwo-Olu is someone I have had close interaction with in the past.
“We have worked closely with Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was them the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Lagos State.
“Having been part and parcel of the formulation and execution of various policies and programmes that transformed Lagos right from former Governors Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola’s administrations, I strongly believe that Sanwo-Olu is equally rooted to fly our party’s flag in the 2019 elections.
AmbodeHopeful Of Victory, Says Group
The Akinwunmi Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) on Saturday said Ambode was capable of winning the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State rescheduled for Monday.
The Director-General of AMSG, Mr Hakeem Sulaimon, at a news conference in Ikeja on Saturday, said Ambode was not worried about purported endorsement of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu ahead of the primary by some groups.
Sulaimon said that the governor had huge supporters across the state.
He said supporters of Ambode held meetings across all 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas on Friday and the support for the governor was overwhelming.
“There is huge affirmation and support for Ambode across the state, as stakeholders expressed readiness to work for his emergence as the governorship candidate of the APC and the governor of Lagos for a second term,”.
Sulaimon said while AMSG was not against endorsement for Sanwo-Olu as it was part of democracy, some of the endorsement information being given out were incorrect.
He said that the Chairman of Conference 57, Mrs Omolola Essien, was at its meeting on Friday to say that chairmen of the 57 councils in Lagos state would support Ambode’s second term aspiration.
“We also had 200 ward chairmen coming here to endorse Ambode.
What constitutes the structure of the party is the ward chairmen, LGA chairmen and councillors.
“237 councillors were here at our meeting and they have endorsed Ambode.
“They said they have realised that it was Ambode that they should support,” he said.
Sulaimon added that the Ndigbos and other Igbo support groups in the party were garnering support for Ambode.
“The Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs), have also thrown their weight behind the governor.
“The CDAs and CDCs are the biggest grassroots groups, we have 3,900 CDAs in Lagos state and they have openly endorsed Ambode.
“Their representatives were at our meeting to again affirm their support for Ambode.
“We are supposed to have a direct primary and this means that all wards will participate,” he said.
Sulaimon said Ambode had asked his supporters to remain calm and peaceful.
He said the will of the people would prevail at the end of the day when Ambode emerges the flagbearer of the APC for next year’s governorship election in Lagos.
The post APC Primaries: Party Leaders Endorse Sanwo-Olu appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
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