The return of leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to Nigeria from abroad on Thursday is to ensure that the machinery of the state is put into motion to ensure the emergence of his candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, as the candidate of the party in the governorship election to be held in the State in 2015, Naijaloaded.com.ng can authoritatively reveal.
Ambode, a former Accountant-General of Lagos State is a major contender in the governorship race in the State. Other contenders on the platform of the APC are the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, former Commissioner for Education in the State, Dr. Leke Pitan, the current Commissioner for Works, Obafemi Hamzat, a Senator in the State, Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon, and a former Commissioner for Rural Development, Tola Kasali.
The only person among the list that is currently giving Ambode a run for his money is Hamzat. While Tinubu backs Ambode, Fashola backs Hamzat.
The other aspirants believe that the clash between the two top politicians in the state would pave way for one of them.
According to their calculation, as analysed by an aide to one of the contenders, they believe that when the clash becomes intense, APC would want to wade in by making sure candidates of the duo step down from the race.
“This would afford my boss and the others to be thrown up in the race,” the source close to Ikuforiji said, expressing belief that his boss stands a better chance to be picked by the party in spite of allegation of misappropriation of fund against him by the nation’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ambode versus Hamzat
Analysts in the state and within the APC say the election is majorly between the incumbent governor and Tinubu because of their different choices of candidates for the election.
It is widely known that Tinubu is passionate about Ambode and that even before his overseas trip, had mandated political office holders including the 57 local government chairmen in the State, the councillors and supervisors and members of the House of Assembly to support his choice.
On the other hand, Fashola is bent on ensuring he is replaced by Hamzat, some of his loyalists saying the governor has become resolute on Hamzat.
True, Hamzat, whose father is the current king of Ewekoro in Ogun State, was brought to Nigeria by Tinubu to support the development of Lagos. Apart from this, party members say Hamzat in government was to compensate his father for supporting Tinubu.
Party members told Naijaloaded.com.ng that prior to 1999, Alhaji Mufutau Olatunji Hamzat, the Oba of Ewekoro, was in charge of the political structure in Lagos State which helped Tinubu become governor of the state. He was then the godfather of Lagos opposition politics.
However, as he finally moved over to Ogun State, he handed the structure over to Tinubu thus making Tinubu the new leader. Tinubu thereafter expanded his political horizon and brought Femi Hamzat, the brilliant son of the Oba, to become the state’s commissioner for works.
It was learnt that Fashola soon got close to Hamzat who became a kitchen cabinet member of the governor. His intelligence and ideas have helped the governor to succeed.
It is also on record that road projects constructed by Hamzat have always been adjudged some of the best roads ever constructed in state.
According to sources close to government, Fashola believes more in Hamzat as one who would continue from where he stops because of his passion for the continuous development of the state.
On the other hand, Ambode’s success and endearment to Tinubu started while Tinubu was governor and Ambode was Accountant-General of the state. It was learnt that Ambode successfully managed the finances of the state during the challenging period when former President Olusegun Obasanjo froze allocations to Lagos State because Tinubu created the Local Council Development Areas.
Moreover, Tinubu is said to be interested in one who would be loyal to him and not one whose loyalty could be to Fashola.
Another fear is that since it was the structure of Hamzat’s father that Tinubu is overseeing now, the commissioner could hijack the structure from him when he finally becomes governor.
The Akiolu Angle
Just as Lagos politicians were still considering how to go about 2015, Oba Akiolu of Lagos publicly announced, controversially, that the state traditional council had endorsed Ambode as the sole candidate of the APC.
The Oba’s declaration caught most of the other traditional rulers unawares with many denying ever attending any meeting where such decision was taken. There were reports that the Oba could have been induced to make such public pronouncement.
Akiolu also made some denigrating remarks to the extent that he called Hamzat a foreigner whose father is the King of Ewekoro, saying such a person cannot govern Lagos. He also said Ambode was from Epe area of Lagos, a statement which generated a serious controversy especially as it was discovered by some people that Ambode is originally from Ondo State and that his father only came to settle in Epe.
Since then, however, the monarch had remained silent on the political journey ahead of 2015 after he received a barrage of criticisms from Nigerians, many of who said as a traditional ruler, he was supposed to take the toga of a father to all contestants. Irked by the role of Oba Akiolu, it was learnt that Fashola vowed to fight for Hamzat.
Call against Imposition of Candidates
Another aspect on the road to the election in the State is the clamour against imposition of candidates by some members of the APC. There had been many protests by APC members who say there must be free and fair primaries to pick the party’s candidates for the different positions.
Chairman of the party in the state, Henry Ajomale, attested to the clamour when he attacked those opposed to imposition as hypocrites recently at an event in Epe.
In the statement where political watchers believe he was referring to Fashola, Ajomale said all those saying no to imposition should remember that they were imposed on others just to get to where they are currently. He therefore warned members against carrying out activities that could endanger the chances of the party in 2015.
“As the underground campaigns have started and the day is drawing close, how we resolve this looming crisis in the party would determine how we would succeed in the election. Remember the PDP is only waiting for our flaws to harp on,” a top member of the party told Naijaloaded.com.ng.
Source: naijaloaded.com
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
