Temidayo Akinsuyi and Joy Anigbogu
Lagos – The stage is set for an epic showdown today between Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, his estranged political godson, who is seeking re-election.
Tinubu has publicly thrown his weight behind Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the former Managing Director of the Lagos State Property Development Commission (LSPDC).
He has also asked Ambode to step down from the direct primary election scheduled for today.
Tinubu reportedly did this through the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos State.
Regardless, addressing a world press conference at Government House, Alausa-Ikeja, on Sunday, Ambode assured his supporters that nothing would make him step down from the exercise.
He had earlier announced his desire to participate in the primary despite the odds against him.
While urging party members to vote for him today, the governor said he had achieved a lot in improving the lives of Lagosians in the last three and half years, and that there was a need to consolidate those achievements in the years ahead.
He said, “Without being immodest, after three and half years of remarkable performance in bringing growth and development to our dear state, I have humbly expressed my intention to seek re-election in order to consolidate on the giant strides that we have recorded for our dear state and our great party, APC.
“This is why I once again seek the support of every party member in tomorrow’s primary election. We shall overcome.
“I have done everything in the last three and a half years to serve people selflessly and to serve the poor. Most of the projects we are doing are about alleviating the sufferings of the poor. And the only way out for us is to continue to do that in the next four years.”
He also raised the alarm over the arming of political thugs in the state, warning criminal elements to steer clear or face the full wrath of the law.
“The last three and half years have witnessed tremendous improvement in our security apparatus and a significant drop in the incidents of crime in our state. However, the current political situation has caused palpable tension and unnecessary fears among law-abiding Lagosians.
“Security reports available to the state government indicate that there is an ongoing recruitment and arming of political thugs to disrupt the tranquil atmosphere of Lagos State, in the guise of holding primary elections.
“As a responsible government that has invested so much in enhancing security of lives and property in the state to enable Lagosians pursue their lawful endeavours, we will not allow any disruptive elements to cause panic or wreak havoc that will affect the progressive strides which Lagosians are known for.
“This is more so that we have the assurances of our party leaders to conduct free and fair primary elections for aspirants into the various political offices.
“It has become imperative to put every stakeholder on notice, especially the Federal Government and security agencies, to take more than a passing interest in the development in this state that has hitherto been adjudged as the safest city in Africa.
“Consequently, the state government will do all within its powers, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, to protect our citizens and insulate them from any condition that may breed insecurity or the breakdown of law and order in the state throughout the primaries campaign and election periods.
“While assuring all Lagosians to be calm and go about their normal businesses, criminal elements are hereby advised, in their own interest, not to foment any trouble in the name of politics or under any guise, as the full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any law breaker,” he added.
While restating his earlier statement that there was no rift between him and Tinubu, Ambode, however, took a swipe at his main challenger, Sanwo-Olu, describing him as an individual who was unfit to govern the state and deliver Lagos for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.
While urging Tinubu and the APC elders to have a rethink, he also claimed Sanwo-Olu was arrested in the United States for financial fraud and was, therefore, unfit to perform the task he was being propelled to do.
“We are one family in the APC, but the truth is this, the aspirant that is being put up to compete against us is not a fit and proper person to take this position. This is the truth. Party leaders and party members have been misled into thinking that this is a greater candidate than me.
“This particular aspirant, you can go and check, the records are there, is somebody that has been arrested for spending fake American dollars in a nightclub.
“He doesn’t have the competence to do what he is being propelled to do. This is somebody that has gone for rehabilitation before. The records are there at the Gbagada General Hospital. We don’t want to go too far. Our leadership should have a rethink,” he said.
Responding to the governor’s statement, Sanwo-Olu, in statement by the Jide Sanwo-Olu Support Group, condemned the statement by Ambode on Sanwo-Olu’s health. The group promised to expose the governor in the coming days.
The statement reads: “His Excellency@ Akinwunmi Ambode, it’s unfortunate to see you attack your fellow contender from the same party in this manner, especially health wise. In our campaigns, we never attacked you. But you have called for it. The world will know the truth about you.”
In any case, Shortly after Ambode’s speech, Tinubu issued a statement publicly declaring support for Sanwo-Olu.
While urging the party members to vote for his preferred candidate, he said the blueprint of Lagos, his brainchild between 1999 and 2007, which was consolidated upon by his successor, Babatunde Fashola from 2007 to 2015, had been deviated from by Ambode.
“Tomorrow, our party and the people of Lagos will have an encounter with destiny. We shall hold our governorship primary.
“With the holding of direct primaries to elect governorship candidates in Lagos and other states, the APC takes a groundbreaking step toward greater internal democracy and progressive governance for the benefit of all people.
“Roughly 20 years ago, a corps of dedicated and patriotic Lagosians put aside personal interests and rivalries to put their minds and best ideas together for the good of the state.
“Out of this collaborative effort, was born a masterplan for economic development that would improve the daily lives of our people.
“Bestowed on me was the honour of a lifetime when I was elected to be your governor in 1999. My administration faithfully implemented that plan.
“The government of my immediate successor, Tunde Fashola, also honoured this enlightened plan. Where state government remained true to that blueprint, positive things happened.
“During my tenure and Governor Fashola’s, Lagos State recorded improvements in all aspects of our collective existence, from public health to public sanitation, from education to social services, from the administration of justice to the cleaning of storm and sewage drains.
“I make no pretense that the masterplan is perfect. It can always be fine-tuned. However, whenever a government departed from this plan without a compelling reason, the state and its people have borne the painful consequence of the improper departure.
“I am encouraged by the emergence of a candidate in this primary who has served the state in senior positions in my administration, the Fashola administration, and even in the current one.
“While possessing a wealth of experience and exposure, he is a young man endowed with superlative vision and commitment.
“Most importantly, he understands the importance of the blueprint for development. He esteems it as a reliable and well-conceived vehicle for the future development of the state.
“He also knows the value of reaching out and working with others in order to maximize development and provide people with the best leadership possible.
“We walk into this primary strong and confidently believing in the right course we are to take. We shall emerge from this primary even stronger and more confident that we have taken that course by returning Lagos and our party to their finest path.”
On its part, the Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) has sent a petition to the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, over the endorsement of his opponent in the forthcoming governorship primary by the party leadership in the state.
The Chairman of the group, Akeem Sulaimon, made this known at a rally on Sunday in Lagos to mobilise support for the second term bid of Ambode.
Sulaimon said the action of the state Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, and members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) endorsing an aspirant as candidate of the party was a violation of the party’s constitution.
Sen. Anthony Adefuye, a member the council, announced the endorsement to party members on Saturday, at a stakeholders’ meeting at the ACME Road state party secretariat.
A third aspirant who was in the race, Olufemi Hamzat, stepped down on Saturday, and backed Sanwo-Olu.
Sulaimon, who is also the Special Adviser to Ambode on Communities and Communications, said the support group could not fathom why the second term bid of the governor was being hindered.
He said current events had shown that the leadership of the state executive had been compromised and therefore could not produce an unbiased primary election.
Sulaimon appealed to members to go out en masse on Monday in their various local government areas to vote for Gov. Ambode without intimidation at the primary.
Members and supporters of Ambode, clad in shirts and other materials implying their support for the governor, took a walk from Maryland to Freedom Park, Ojota.
They sang in support of the governor, chanting the reason why he deserved the right to be allowed to run for a second term in office.
Reacting to the development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State, said it was not surprised by the developments in the Lagos APC, adding that God was about to rescue Lagosians from Tinubu’s grip.
Speaking to Daily Independent, Dr. Adegbola Dominic, the state chairman of the party, said the unholy alliance between Ambode and Tinubu had finally come to an end having allegedly committed a lot of atrocities together in the past.
“Ambode happens to be another tool in the hands of Tinubu. Tinubu has been using them like that to commit atrocities in Lagos State. He used others before him, so we didn’t expect anything less from Tinubu. They should solve their problems amongst themselves.
“Ambode was Auditor-General when Tinubu was perpetrating all the atrocities and he was covering up for him. They were both committing atrocities together. Tinubu handed over Lagos State to him expecting him to continue to cover his tracks.
“Ambode has done that to some extent and now the relationship has gone sour. Both of them are culprits, but let’s see how it turns out. I think God is coming to the aid of Lagosians. Tinubu is having a taste of his pudding,” he said.
The post Tinubu, Ambode In Epic Showdown Today appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
We appreciate you for reading our post, but we think it will be better you like our facebook fanpage and also follow us on twitter below.