The rift between All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has given impetus to an organised challenge of the party’s dominance in the state as a political group, the Peoples Trust, has indicated its intention to coalesce with 30 other political parties to mobilise the people for the takeover of Lagos State.
The group that has as its leading light, human rights activist, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), said it would use the rift as a window to mobilise the people to challenge godfather politics and take over the state.
Ambode’s return bid had been made difficult by Tinubu’s political machine, the Mandate Movement, which threw up the governor’s main challenger and Managing Director of Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He is also being challenged by former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, of the Justice Forum, another formidable political structure in the state.
Following pressure from the presidency and other top APC leaders, Tinubu had pushed the quest for right of first refusal for Ambode to the state’s highest political advisory organ, Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), for determination.
The GAC concluded on Monday that the governor and his challengers should test their contention at a direct primary scheduled for Saturday, saying it did not want to be accused of imposing anyone on the party.
However, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Segun Obe, the People’s Trust unveiled a ‘Grand Alliance for New Democratic Lagos, which it said, would begin consultations with critical stakeholders today in its Lagos State secretariat, Ogba.
The statement noted that stakeholders from across the 30 political parties would converge for a major consultative rally on the way forward on the resolve of the alliance against godfather politics and imposition of candidates in Lagos State.
It said the alliance “is entirely a Lagos affair. Our grand mobilisation is purely against the imposition of anointed candidates in Lagos by godfathers and power brokers. This is the only strategic way to deter self-serving political godfathers and power brokers in the country from actions tending towards taking electorate and voters for a ride.”
Judging by the outcome of the Osun elections, the statement said, “We are indeed very optimistic and quite upbeat that our movement is now in a better situation to galvanise political stakeholders and electorate in Lagos to take advantage of the heightening power tussle within the ruling APC in ensuring that the third force and the Lagos Voters produce the next Governor of Lagos State in 2019.
“We strongly view the unfortunate power display of a clique of kingmakers of the ruling APC in Lagos as a mockery of internal party democracy. It also demeans the value and power of the teeming electorate and voting populace in Lagos to the effect that they can jettison the performance of Ambode, who is regarded as the whiz-kid of development in Lagos for the blind loyalty of their political crony and protégé.
“The Osun governorship elections could not have come at a better time than this as the outcome has turned out to be a signpost of what is to happen in Lagos and other progressive states in 2019. We are therefore of the firm opinion that the electorate should be wise enough this time around to reject any anointed candidate of APC power brokers.
“The undemocratic attempt of Lagos king makers to deny Ambode his second term in office should really send a strong signal to the Lagos electorate and voters that their power and mandate are already being undermined for them to rise in defence of their electoral power,” (Thisday)
