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Tag: Ambode

  • Nollywood stakeholders drum support for Ambode

    Nollywood stakeholders drum support for Ambode

    The governorship bid of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode, received a boost on Monday, when a cross-section of Nigerian movie practitioners under the aegis of the Nollywood Stakeholders Forum (NSF) declared their support for him.

    At a press conference held in Ikeja, coordinator of the group, Harrris Chuma, described the victory of the APC at the presidential polls as a welcome development which will positively bring the much-desired change in the nation’s creative industry.

    Nollywood, he said, cannot be said to occupy a strategic position in the Nigerian economic sphere without the continued presence of the government.

    “We therefore call on the incoming administration to address the myriad of issues militating against our practice, guarantee the protection of Intellectual Property, support and empower Nollywood practitioners to enable them compete favourably in the comity of international movie practitioners,” he said According to him; “We at Nollywood Stakeholders Forum will continue to work with everything at our disposal to ensure the victory of APC governorship candidate in Lagos State and other states. We therefore use this medium to reemphasize our support for the election of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as the next governor of Lagos State, the entertainment capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We urge all our members and colleagues to unite and work in mobilization for the victory of APC in Lagos State. Let us do it again, we did it for GMB, we can do it for Ambode,” he added.

  • Ambode, Akiolu and the Buhari momentum

    Ambode, Akiolu and the Buhari momentum

    It speaks to the education and enlightenment of the Lagos electorate that just when the state appears poised to reap the benefits of many years of hard work and painful sacrifice in opposition and isolation, questions are being asked, entirely for the wrong reasons, whether to harvest the waiting benefits or stoically endure many more years of needless, self-inflicted isolation. One of those wrong reasons is the controversial interpretation given to Oba Rilwan Akiolu’s intervention in the voting behaviour of the Igbo people in particular. Summoning representatives of the Igbo in Lagos, the Lagos monarch had warned against voting for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) Jimi Agbaje. Speaking in what some interpreted as complex trado-spiritual language and terms, Oba Akiolu suggested very harshly that the Igbo would be repudiating the cooperation of their hosts should they vote against the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The Igbo deplored the apparent threats, and argued that the oba’s statement was not so complicated as not to be decipherable. If he warned of their drowning in the lagoon, they summed up, it was an indication of a subtle hint of ethnic cleansing. Palace rebuttal suggesting that the oba spoke metaphorically were rebuffed, and some Igbo were reported to have made their own counter-threats indicating that they were even now more resolute in defying Oba Akiolu and the APC. Not unsurprisingly, but rather unwisely, the PDP, desperate to win Lagos after the national debacle of President Goodluck Jonathan’s humiliating defeat, has waded into the controversy by stoking the fire. In a move evocative of the Afonja/Solagberu rift that opened up Ilorin for invaders, Lagos PDP leaders and a few hurting Afenifere leaders have railed against Oba Akiolu and denounced the APC.

    PDP’s dangerous short-termism and Afenifere leaders’ opportunism ignore two salient facts about the Lagos monarch’s statement. First, while the oba does not hide his preference for the APC and has even adopted Mr Ambode as his candidate, he is neither a member of the party nor their spokesman. But while the Igbo have the right to take exception to statements they interpret as harmful to their interests, they nonetheless open up themselves to accusations of reverse ethnic bigotry and electoral opportunism by extrapolating Oba Akiolu’s statement as an APC policy. Those who believe the Igbo merely fished for justification to vote as a bloc for the PDP, as they were presumed to have done for President Jonathan, would be proved right. This constrictive electoral behaviour, it is argued, prompted the Lagos monarch’s impolitic statement in the first instance.

    Second, Oba Akiolu sees himself as the custodian of Lagos culture and values, both of which he perhaps wants preserved irrespective of the growing status of the city-state as a megacity and multicultural settlement. His acute intervention is a reflection of the continuing conundrum of growth and development of cities and communities within the context of dramatically changing demographics. It is doubtful whether the Lagos monarch directly or indirectly advocated ethnic cleansing, nor is it clear that even if he did, he had the means and the support to execute it given the cosmopolitanism of Lagos and the famed hospitality and accommodation of the Yoruba.

    Third, perhaps unknown to the Igbo, the battle for Lagos, which warfront continues to morph considerably and unpredictably, is a complex one involving Yoruba elite struggling for the plum prize of Lagos. Many leading members of the Lagos and Yoruba elite, including the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), feel alienated from the commonwealth of Lagos. They want not just a slice of the action, but a mastery of the state. No method is too controversial, and no tactics too bizarre to be co-opted into the battle. If Igbo umbrage against Oba Akiolu’s statement looks appealing, they will seize it to make war. Lagos stakeholders and ethnic groups must take cognisance of these tendencies in shaping their responses and political behaviour to avoid more unmanageable and more destructive crises in the near and distant future.

    Whichever way the controversy is resolved in the future, especially considering its many divergent manifestations through the prisms of elite and cultural conflicts, there is trouble ahead. The Yoruba traditional institution, Lagos State political elite, and the Igbo must tread carefully and circumspectly to guarantee the peace and understanding that have subsisted in the state for decades. The disputants must appreciate that what is imperilled is not just the victory or defeat of candidates in the state elections of Saturday, but the decades of amity between all ethnic groups in Lagos, an amity that before now had weathered many storms and promoted commerce. They must realise where this conflict’s watershed is coming from and how to manage it before it drowns everybody.

    In 2011, President Jonathan campaigned in Lagos advocating for a gang up between the Igbo and other ethnic minorities against the Yoruba in order to seize political power. Since then that heresy has formed the inner core of the ethnic dissonance ripping Lagos apart. That heresy undoubtedly holds tantalising opportunities for the PDP, which is dutifully exploiting them. Latching on to the controversy, too, are a number of disaffected Afenifere leaders whose main goal is the humiliation of APC leaders in Lagos rather than the ennoblement or development of the state. Today, given the stridency of the controversy and the number of combatants whooping for war, it is anybody’s guess whether the genie has left the bottle, and whether in fact Lagos and its ethnic constituents can summon the reasonableness and temperance to smother the rage before too much damage is done.

    One way to repair what is summing up as a major fissure in ethnic relations in Lagos is for the Igbo to disavow bloc voting, lest they be seen, as perhaps Oba Akiolu saw them, as working against the larger interest of Lagos, however that interest is aggregated. Everyone has the right to vote whichever way they deem fit; but it is not everything that is lawful that is expedient. And until the voting pattern of the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections is deconstructed, the suspicion that the Igbo voted as a bloc for President Jonathan may be difficult to erase. In addition, until the country matures enough politically for the redefinition or clarification of indigeneship and citizenship, the regnant culture here in Nigeria in which ancestors and their progenies exercise metaphysical bonding with their lands will subsist. The required change cannot be forced; it can only evolve. And while that evolution is taking place, traditional institutions and ethnic groups must deliberately cultivate and encourage peaceful coexistence and amity.

    There is no doubt that should Mr Ambode come to grief on Saturday, Lagos will endure a punishing isolation far worse than any paradox it had ever confronted. The PDP, no matter its indifference and bravado, and other ethnic bloc voters, no matter their disingenuous electoral excuses, will be held responsible for the pyrrhic victory and be made to bear the brunt of animosity certain to emerge from the despair and suffering of a distressed populace. After 16 years of isolation, and having served as the main inspiration for the realignment of political forces and power in Nigeria, it is incontestable that this is Lagos’ finest moment. It would be a tragedy of monumental proportion should any realignment be enthroned tomorrow that does not favour and compensate Lagos.

  • Igbo urged to vote Ambode

    The Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State, Dr. Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu (JP), has urged Ndigbo to vote for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in tomorrow’s election, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and other APC candidates.

    Nwachukwu, who spoke yesterday, said: “Ndigbo should know that our relationship with the government and party has not changed and will not change. We must not allow the unfortunate statement credited to the Oba of Lagos, HRH Rilwanu Akiolu, to make us lose focus and act negatively in order not to expose our investment in Lagos to risk.”

    The Eze Ndigbo enjoined the Igbo not to be afraid of their safety in the state.

    He said the Igbo cannot be intimidated, adding: “My people should vote wisely by voting for Ambode and other APC candidates to cement the cordial relationship between us and the Yoruba.”

  • Ambode and Ndigbo: O biara be onye abiagbula ya…

    It is one of those dictums a child picks up as he grows up in an Igbo household. O biara be onye abiagbula ya, mgbe o ga ala  mkpu mkpu apukwa la ya. Let the visitor bring no ill-will on his host so that no harm accosts him as he departs. It is a maxim that re-echoes the basic truths of life about reciprocity; mutual co-existence and social graces. Igbo society and culture pay ample attention to mutuality, to meting equal measures to all. This must have spawned the other deep saying: egbe bere, ugo bere; nke si ibeya ebela nku kwa ya: let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch and let he that will hinder the other lose his wings.

    It is from this standpoint that one reads what seems like a looming face-off between Ndigbo in Lagos and their host, the Yoruba. The 2015 election is turning out to be a watershed in the relationship between these two great ethnic groups in Nigeria. First is the scenario at the national level where Ndigbo chose to go down with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ostensibly to spite the Yoruba dominated All Progressives Congress (APC). There is no doubt that the age-old rivalry between the three major tribes in Nigeria has been at play here.

    With the Hausa and Yoruba dominant in APC, Ndigbo naturally opted to stick with PDP. As Ndigbo and PDP took a shellacking in the presidential election, Lagos presents the next political turf. Apart from what may be considered an eternal rivalry with Yoruba, the teeming mass of Igbo in Lagos had felt injured by certain policies of the state government which must have led many to vow to vote against the APC government at this election. PDP was quick to latch on to those grievances. There was also a crowd of estranged elements in APC too. And the result was a close contest as never been seen before in Lagos during the Presidential and National Assembly polls of March 28. PDP had swept five of the 24 Federal House of Representative seats with Ndigbo getting two of those slots and one for an Edo indigene. Even Accord Party won one federal seat.

    It is indeed quite a feat surely unprecedented in Lagos if not Nigeria’s politics. It is a sure sign that Ndigbo in Lagos has numerical strength which if properly harnessed, is capable of causing a political tsunami sooner than we think.

    In fact, as soon as tomorrow when the governorship and state house elections hold: the PDP crowd (with a highly sellable candidate in Jimi Agbaje), the non-conformist Yoruba like OPC and Afenifere, all the south-south ethnic groups plus the horde of Igbo voters could spell trouble for the ruling APC in tomorrow’s governorship diadem in Lagos. And indeed, Ndigbo may have the block/swing vote that might decide tomorrow’s fate.

    This explains why this matter of Ndigbo in Lagos has gotten so very tacky in the way of most inter-tribal issues. Let’s do a cliché and say that the atmosphere in Lagos is tense and electric. For the first time, the ruling party in Lagos sweats profusely over a guber election which was hitherto taken for granted.

    Akin Ambode, the APC candidate is not only a quality proposition he has proved to be an election warrior – indefatigable and pragmatic. His academic and work records are unmatched by any of the other candidates.

    Noticing the ace held by Ndigbo after March 28, he had swiftly moved round all the Igbo groups and clusters in Lagos reaching out and showing them why they would be better off with him at the Round House, Alausa come May 29. Even when the Oba of Lagos dropped a clanger, (see box) he was quick to reassure all ethnic groups that his would be an inclusive government and Lagos would be home to all.

    Five reasons Ndigbo Lagos are better off with APC: I must add my little voice to the call from numerous quarters that Ndigbo in Lagos would be better off voting for the APC candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode. Here are just five reasons:

    First and most important in my estimation is that Ndigbo must cut their losses. Having lost at the centre with PDP, Lagos is the next most important bloc both politically and economically. By my rough estimation, there are millions Igbo living and working in Lagos. There are some third generation Igbo living in Lagos with investments deep and wide. Ndigbo could get a foot into the ruling party through Lagos by voting Ambode. Politics is another word for pragmatism – practical solutions and benefits. Though Agbaje seems a nice guy, to vote him is like entering into a cul de sac. For Ndigbo, PDP today is a road that leads to nowhere, ‘one chance’. Let Ndigbo consider for a moment that Ambode scrapes through without Igbo votes, we would have lost both Abuja and Lagos – that will be very costly!

    The second reason Ndigbo should prefer Ambode is that APC has over these years, shown a better record of performance than the PDP. In nearly every state, APC have out-performed PDP.

    Third, Agbaje has no public service experience so will require at least a year or more to understand the service environment while Ambode will touchdown running.

    Fourth, with APC government at the centre, Lagos is bound to get the requisite special status it requires to make life more bearable for us Lagos dwellers. There is a sore need for more and improved infrastructure here, especially, roads, transportation and power.

    The fifth and last reason we must vote Ambode is that Ndigbo have made their point and the lesson has been learnt. We are in a better position to consolidate in APC Lagos, bargain better as a group, and influence and shape policies. A golden moment presents itself in Lagos for Ndigbo through APC and they must show wisdom this time around.

    Going forward for APC, it is my opinion that the party is gradually coming to terms with the fact that Lagos is a multi-ethnic cosmopolitan city. That is the harsh reality. To seek to change that or circumscribe that fact will probably amount to bringing the entire place down. The party that will win and rule here will always be the thinking and most strategic one. It is almost like in the US with plural ethnic groups like the Hispanics, Blacks, Chinese, Jews, etc.; any party that must win these block votes must court and manage these groups most delicately. Our political maturation must arrive with a truckload political pragmatism in tow.

  • Why Ambode will win, by Oki

    Why Ambode will win, by Oki

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice Chairman (Lagos Central) Hon. Fuad Oki spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU on the chances of the party in tomorrow’s poll and other partisan issues. 

    What were the mistakes made by the Independent National Electoral Commission ((INEC) at the presidential election, which should be avoided in Saturday’s governorship poll?

    We must take cognisance of the fact that we are still transiting, in terms of getting it right. The card reader is novel. We must experience challenges here and there. I thank the INEC for the initiative and for allowing those whose Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) to go through manual accreditation. We should encourage INEC to do better. Some party agents complained that they could not get identification tags. I think they will get over that in the Saturday’s election. Other issues are administrative. INEC is setting a standard for a credible, free, fair and violence-free election. We should also thank Nigerians for coming out to vote.  They defied the harsh weather in some areas, especially the heavy downpour. We should commend Nigerians for being steadfast.

    What are the issues that will shape the governorship election in Lagos?

    We want continuity in Lagos. We want the good work to continue. We cannot be experimenting with the next governor. In the last 16 years, Lagos has been progressively moving forward, in terms of development. The state government has embarked on major infrastructural development and moved the local economy from dormancy in 1999 to something that is growing and becoming buoyant. The election will be determined by the desire of Lagosians to continue to enjoy developmental projects and programmes or whether they want to experiment. PDP has not been able to give to Nigerians what they want, in terms of service delivery, accountability and best practices. These are what will shape the April 11 election.

    What are the specific challenges that will confront the next governor of Lagos State?

    The challenges that will confront the in-coming governor, by the grace of God, Akinwumi Ambode, will be the challenge of wanting to do much and not having enough. It is not for fun that we call Akinwumi Ambode the consolidator. In 1999, we decided that we will take Lagos to the Victorian era that it used to be in the forties and fifties, sixties and during the civil war. We have been doing that consistently. Even, PDP leaders have come out to say that Lagos is working. We want to keep it working. We want to do much, but, we have less. As a result, we have embarked on serious financial engineering and re-engineering in making the state a Triple A in the reckoning of international financial institutions. Lagos State government is reputed for best practices in terms of prudence and financial management. We have financial blueprint for the management of resources. In terms of service delivery, mega city status, Lagos is becoming the third. We are reviving the abandoned rail line project. But, there has been lack of understanding by the Federal Government. We are developing our waterways. We must promote our eco system in this state of Aquatic Splendour. We want to continue to add value to the lives of the people.

    In terms of antecedent, professional calling and other personal attributes, what gives you an impression that Akinwumi Ambode will be a better governor than Jimi Agbaje?

    There is a saying in Yoruba: eni to fe daso fun yan, torun e la koko maa wo. We are talking about a man whose career path has been in the public sector. But, there is also an candidate whose career path has been a monologue, even in the private sector. We are looking at two different things. Akinwumi Ambode’s career path was in the civil service. He rose through the ranks, earning promotion and becoming all that he became in his career. He has seen it all in terms of project initiation, formulation and implementation. He has been part of this administration in the last 16 years. He knows where Lagos is going. He has all these benefits, experience and goodwill of successive Lagos State governments. On the other hand, the candidate in the opposing camp is coming for experimentation. For a green horn coming into office, he will spend the first 16 months learning the ropes. He will spend another 16 months to add value. So. he has few time to really work. Lagos deserves a succession  plan, where from onset, we will start looking for people who will succeed Akinwumi Ambode in eight years; who will also learn the ropes and be integrated into the process of governance and public service. You cannot experiment with Lagos. It will hurt all of us.

    PDP is more determined to capture Lagos, using financial inducement. Are you saying that will not swing the votes towards the direction of the PDP candidate?

    Lagosians are wiser. Let them spend all tax payers’ money. It will not sway Lagosians from doing that which is right. We are used to their shenanigans and the slogan of capture as if we are in a war situation. Let them continue to induce. We will continue to remind Lagos on the need to keep it working.

    What is the bone of contention between APC and Ndigbo in Lagos, to the extent that the Igbo are thinking of ditching the party, which has given the ethnic group a sense of belonging in the last 16 years?

    I refuse to accept that there is a quarrel between the APC and our brothers from the East. I don’t want to believe so. We have held several meetings with our brothers from the East and one thing they always say is that there is no place like Lagos, in terms of security of life and property, economic opportunities and privileges. Only in Lagos you see Ezes in every community, thus affirming their right to cultural expression and integration. PDP is trying to incite brothers against brothers by playing ethnic and religious cards. But, APC and our brothers from the East are wiser and those things cannot create tension between them. In terms of accommodation, cultural expression, integration and security, they have always said that there is no place like Lagos. The Publicity Secretary of the APC, Engineer Joe Igbokwe, is an Igbo. The man they call the headmaster, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Pastor Ben Akabueze, is an Igbo. We are brothers in Lagos. That is the spirit of Lagos where I grew up.

    In specific terms, what are the new things that the APC candidate will do for Lagosians?

    Akinwumi Ambode will implement the APC manifestos. He is a party man who subscribes to the party manifestos. He will continue to b he build on the legacies of the Tinubu and Fashola administrations. He will take Lagos to a higher level. He will create jobs and defend all the sectors. He will implement our manifestos.

  • Ambode/Agbaje: The final word!

    Ambode/Agbaje: The final word!

    If there is no struggle, there is no progress – Frederick Douglass

    Like the last presidential election that attracted so much attention, the Lagos governorship contest will be fought for tomorrow, Saturday, April 11. As widely known, the two major contestants are Akin Ambode of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Jimi Agbaje of the conservative Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Since the primaries of the two major parties last December from which the two contestants emerged as the candidates of their parties, all that needed to be known about the duo had been written and said for the sake of profile boosting and garnering of positive public perception.

    But the day of decision is tomorrow and the deciders are Lagosians with Permanent Voter Card (PVC) who would be saddled with the simply onerous task of electing the next governor of Lagos State for another four-year term. At this juncture, that Ambode is a brilliant chartered accountant and an accomplished retired public servant that served without blemish at the pinnacle of his profession in the civil service of Lagos has become a cliché to people in the Centre of Excellence. Also, an attempt by this column to let Lagosians know that Agbaje is a businessman pharmacist that is known more because of his opportunistic proclivity of using ethnic platform, the Afenifere group, to gain undue political prominence among reactionary politicians might no longer be news to people living in and outside the state again. Agbaje is deceitfully hobnobbing with the Igbos in Lagos by trumping the same ethnic card when he promised to elevate their lgwe to the same status with that of the Oba of Lagos. What a laughable insolence to the Yoruba traditional institution on their land simply because of desperation of Agbaje to rule Lagos!

    Tomorrow is D-Day and Lagosians must come out to vote for continuity of the steady progress so far laid through the foundation created by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and consolidated by incumbent governor Babatunde Fashola. The progressive landmarks are there for all to see. Whatever anybody might have against the progressives, what is undeniable is that the state and others governed by them have witnessed unprecedented development under their firm grip.

    If this is so, must Lagosians be hoodwinked by deceits of electoral failures in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) masquerading as people’s champions? Any desperate politician for such exalted position that is ready to wine and dine with the devil in his bid to gain power is not worth relying upon. And that person is what Agbaje epitomizes today. What manner of man would commence his political career as a champion of Yoruba cause only to end up in desperation, as champion of another ethnic group’s cause, for mischievous political advantage? The political retrogression of Agbaje is enough pointer to the speck on his touted credibility. He moved from being a progressive to being a reactionary in the PDP.

    Agbaje got to PDP and manifested traits that are worse than those he met there. For instance, he won the state governorship ticket of PDP in primaries where the number of votes cast is more than the accredited delegates. Till today, he still could not convince the public how he came about his fictitious extra ‘57 delegates’ in that phantom primaries. When a man’s newfound friends are Bode George, Adeseye Ogunlewe and Musiliu Obanikoro known for everything but honour, then, Lagosians must vote wisely for CHANGE tomorrow and also vigilantly stand by their votes.

    Tomorrow’s election should not be based solely on educational status of the contestants but on their career progression and public service experience. After all, newly defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan who is the leader of Agbaje’s odious riddled political party purportedly had a doctorate degree that did not in any way rub off positively in the way he ruled this country in six wasteful years. When it comes to a truly tested and trustworthy candidate in public service, Ambode is the candidly qualified candidate, not Agbaje of conservative PDP whose touted success in business is heavily a consequence of political patronage over the years. Ambode is not just a theoretician given only to rhetorics like Agbaje.

    Ambode was until retirement, an instrumental financial engineer behind the mammoth roads, bridges and drainages construction effected in the state. He designed financial strategies with which modern standard equipment were procured for security agencies; and with which roads were lit; traffic lamps provided and healthcare facilities of world class standards built across the state. At the most difficult period in Lagos State, Ambode took charge of the state’s finances and ensured that workers’ salaries were paid promptly to the chagrin of reactionary company that Agbaje keeps now.

    Ambode is the man to beat tomorrow because of these lofty empirical credentials. When the nation’s soccer era was booming, the Green Eagles, the nation’s soccer team’s supporters club used to sing a particular song when the going gets tough or the Eagles needs more goals and it goes thus: ‘All we are saying, give us more goals.’ To all eligible voters in Lagos, permit this column to parody the supporters’ club song: ‘ All we are saying, give Ambode this day…all we are saying, give APC Saturday, April 11 and enjoy the best partnership in development of Lagos with the centre government. The south-south people, southeast Igbo and the Yoruba aborigines should all come out tomorrow to vote for the party and its candidate, Ambode, that has given governance in the state and region a truly positive projection.

    The consolidation of the good work started sixteen years ago in Lagos by the resilient progressives must be consolidated upon tomorrow for the sake of continuity of progress. More importantly, if in sixteen years of PDP misgovernance at the federal level, Nigerians are worse off, the fate that will befall any state that still voted for the visionless PDP is better imagined. May such fate never befall Lagos, not even now that the centre government has gotten into the hands of the APC? A Lagos state government that will continue to exhibit high sense of responsibility in public affairs management can only be guaranteed by an APC government as represented by Ambode in tomorrow’s election. That is the final statement!

  • ‘Igbos will vote for Ambode’

    ‘Igbos will vote for Ambode’

    A notable Lagos based administrator, Benedine Eloka-Umuoji, has called on Igbo residents and other non indigenes in Lagos to regard Oba’s comments as his personal opinion and vote for Akinwumi Ambode and other APC candidates.

    Eloka-Umuoji, who is one of the Igbos based in Lagos, said it would be unfair to visit Akiolu’s sin on Ambode, whose party; All Progressives Congress (APC) has since dissociated itself from the monarch’s comments.

    ‎‎She also urged her kinsmen not allow the opinion of the Oba to derail them from fulfilling their promise to vote for Ambode as the next governor of the state.

    According to her, “We are in a symbiotic relationship and must do everything so support our host.‎ Nonetheless; we give Oba Akiolu kudos for reminding us that we are strangers. The truth is that we are strangers here. Lagos belongs to some people, just like Onitsha and Aba. Let’s not carry on as if this place is a no man’s land. It is not!

    “The Oba’s statement only succeeded in opening our thoughts to start considering shifting investments down our real father land. However, the Oba of Lagos does not have the impetus to insult us and we therefore demand his apology.

    “Nevertheless, we would troop out en-mass to vote for Ambode because we believe in Fashola’s administration and its uniqueness. ‎At least Lagos is being re-branded. APC government would support our objective, and so we would reject sarcastic words opposing our journey to our rehoboth. Such is the Oba’s statement. It is devil’s strategy. Please let us ignore it.”

    ‎Eloka-Umuoji, therefore urged Ambode to as a matter of urgency address the alleged extortion of money from Igbo traders in all markets in Lagos state by Yoruba Market union leaders immediately he assumes office on May 29.

    “The in-coming governor should ensure more representation of the Igbos in his government‎, give approval of Certificate Of Occupancy for properties owned by non indigenes, provide adequate compensation for properties demolished for public interest belonging to affected persons, and the Igbos in the state, curtail the excesses of the Law enforcement agencies particularly the LASMA that hid under Fashola Law to mete hardship and punishment on Lagosians and ‎review Okada riders policy,” she added.

  • The times call for this man- Akinwunmi Ambode

    The times call for this man- Akinwunmi Ambode

    In the twilight of his tenure as Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu identified Babatunde Fashola as the ‘Best man for the job’. His was a lone voice in the wilderness. But the sterling performance of the ‘SAN with a sound mind’ proved bookmakers wrong. The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has again weighed those jostling for the Lagos Government House and found APC’s Akinwunmi Ambode as the “Man of destiny’.

    Akunwunmi Ambode is more than the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for governor of Lagos State. He is the man most qualified to lead our state that we may continue the journey of the progressive development we started in 1999.

    Personal ambition does not call him forth to become governor. The challenges of the moment call him. He is not a man of political bargain and games. He is a man of destiny. The times called upon him because experience, talent and temperament have equipped and shaped him for this moment. He has done his duty by answering destiny’s call. We must now do our duty by electing him to office that he can open a new and greater chapter to the APC legacy in this state.

     Do not let this man’s kind and humble nature fool you. He combines keen, creative intellectual power with a tremendous work ethic. He also possesses unparalleled experience for he has devoted his entire career to the service of this state. From that modest start, his obvious ability and excellent performance propelled him to where he became the accountant general for the entire state.

     He controlled the purse strings of the state and did so expertly. His rise was not caused by political favour. It was due to unquestionable merit. Equally now, his candidacy as our next governor was not the product of political favour.  His candidacy bears the sign of merit.

    He was a major architect and implementer of our progressive development programme for the state.  While serving as a governor, I depended on him and trusted him completely to maintain able and honest management of our finances in such a way that we could cut waste and begin the process of rebuilding Lagos into a modern, productive and great state.

    During that time, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government did everything it could to scuttle our dream. They sought to break Lagos State. They illegally withheld revenues. They did not want us to realise our development plans because our progress would put their failures to visible shame.

    They sought to choke us financially.  They failed. Lagos won. Ambode was a major reason for this people’s victory against oppression. He worked diligently not just to keep the state afloat but also to find ways to allow it to begin flourishing by implementing the development projects we envisioned for our beloved state.

    Now with dwindling revenue to the federal government  due to global slide in oil prices, Lagos needs a governor who can bring financial stability to the state. That man is Akinwunmi Ambode.

    I marvelled at his dedication to this difficult yet vital task and applauded the superior quality of his work.  This man showed himself to be a rare combination of financial probity and creativity, a man who checked every detail but also understood the big, strategic picture.

    His name has been unsung but Ambode is one of the most important heroes and a key factor in the progress we have made these past years. Without him helping to lay the fiscal foundation, much of what we accomplished would have gone with the wind.

    Ambode  is a brilliant young man, who, in his Ordinary and Advanced Levels had the distinction of achieving the second best result in the entire West Africa in the Higher School Certificate Examinations in 1981.

    Ambode proceeded to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where he studied Accounting and graduated in 1984 at 21. By the time he was 24, Ambode had qualified as a Chartered Accountant and had completed his Masters Degree programme in Accounting, specialising in Financial Management.

    In his six years as the Lagos State Accountant General, the state’s financial performance improved visibly with the budget performing at a remarkable average of 85 per cent  annually. He has built on this track record ever since.

    There is no person better qualified than Akin Ambode to steer the ship of Lagos state at this delicate moment.

     In fair weather, anyone can captain the ship. However, when the seas get rough and amid a raging storm, we need an able and experienced man at the helm. Ambode is that man. He is a man of destiny. He is the man for the times.

    Under my administration, he helped Lagos regain its national and international stature as a Center of Excellence. He supported Governor Babatunde Fashola as he built upon that strong foundation. Now Fashola and I support him to advance even further our collective progressive dream for Lagos.

     The progress Lagos has made has not been the trademark of any one man. It has been through the collective and collaborative creation and implementation of a development plan. Ambode actively participated at the very inception of this historic, groundbreaking process. He has been an integral part of a team that shares a common vision.

     This election cycle offers Lagos a rare opportunity. With Gen Buhari’s APC government in Abuja, this will be the first time our progressive government in Lagos will be able to work in full harmony and cooperation with the federal government.

    The ramifications of this close connection are completely positive. This is a chance that we have worked toward for many years. The joint infrastructural and employment projects and collaboration between the state and the federal will quicken the improvement of our roads, schools, power generation and the entire array of social services. This new era of cooperation between the state and federal Government promises to be a golden period for Lagos and for all Lagosians to share equally therein.

     We see a Lagos that is a fount of learning, enterprise, innovation and prosperity for all. We see a Lagos that is tolerant and welcoming to its people and to all Nigerians regardless of religion or ethnic background.  We see a Lagos that does not despise the common man but provides adequate education, healthcare, housing and opportunity to all.  We have gone far toward realising these lofty dreams but we are not home yet.  Akinwunmi Ambode knows the way home because he helped draw the map. Vote for him. He will bring us closer home.

    He is a man of integrity, honour and promise. He is a man of destiny. He is the man for the times.

    Under Jimi Agbaje, carpetbaggers like Bode George will run riot, sucking dry the lifeblood of the state and destroying in months what has taken us many well-planned years to achieve.

     Do not sacrifice our future by giving the reins of governance to those with little idea of the challenges ahead and with no notion of how to resolve them.

     Agbaje, bless his heart, may be a nice fellow but he is lost in his party and is lost in time and place. He is not to lead us for he will hand Lagos over to the Jonathan gang. This would kill the future of our state as if by execution.

     People of Lagos, you have a choice to make that is really not much of a choice.  Do you continue to build and grow the state in a manner that holds the promise of a better day for all of its inhabitants or do you give the state over to those who have already ruined the Federal Government?  In one hand, there is a blueprint for progress.  On the other, a blue print for disaster.

     I choose progress. That means I choose Ambode. He is a man of destiny. He is the man meant for this time. Vote for your future by voting for him.

  • Court quashes suit seeking to stop Ambode

    Court quashes suit seeking to stop Ambode

    Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday dismissed a suit seeking to stop the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, from contesting Saturday’s election.

    Two APC members – Olorunfemi Oluwatosin and Dada Joseph – sought to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from allowing the party to field any candidate for the election.

    They challenged their alleged disenfranchisement in the primary election, which Ambode won, claiming it was fraught with irregularities.

    But Justice Yunusa said the plaintiffs had no locus standi to institute the action, adding that they failed to establish any reasonable cause of action to sustain the suit.

    “None of the plaintiffs in the instant suit is an aspirant to be conferred with locus standi,” the judge held.

    Justice Yunusa agreed with APC that the primary was an intra-party affair.

    He held that the plaintiffs failed to show they had sufficient interest to warrant being granted the reliefs they sought.

    He, however, did not award cost against the plaintiffs.

    Oluwatosin and Joseph alleged that the party’s ward congresses ought to be conducted only in the 20 recognised local governments and not extended to the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), not recognised by the 1999 Constitution.

    They also alleged that secret ballot rather than open ballot system was used during the congresses, which they said rendered the process null and void.

    APC, INEC, Ambode and other aspirants, namely Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Dr. Leke Pitan, Tayo Ayinde, Olasupo Shasore, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mrs. Tokunbo Agbesanwa, Dr. Tola Kasali, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Lanre Ope, Tokunbo Wahab, Adekunle Disu and Abayomi Sutton are respondents.

    But APC, in its preliminary objection, argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to determine the suit, because it was based on an intra-party affair.

    The party said since the plaintiffs were neither delegates nor aspirants, they had no legal basis to complain.

    “The conduct of the ward congresses for Lagos State governorship  primary nomination was done in the constitutionally recognised 20 local governments in Lagos State and not in the 37 LCDAs as alleged by the plaintiffs.

    “The plaintiffs have not disclosed any injury that the conduct of the ward congresses in the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs have caused them, either individually and or collectively.”

    APC described the suit as academic, malafide, an abuse of court processes and one that was targeted at embarrassing it.

    It prayed the court to dismiss it and award substantial cost against the plaintiffs.

  • ARG endorses Ambode, Amosun, Ajimobi

    The Afenifere Renewal Group has endorsed the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states.

    The socio-political group, in a statement by its National Chairman, Olawale Oshun, thanked Yoruba voters for speaking eloquently and peacefully with their votes during the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections.

    “ARG enjoins Yoruba people to continue to be progressive minded in act and in thought.

    “This value must reflect in our action on Saturday as we vote for APC candidates, who best represent our perennial aspiration for development,” the statement said.

    It warned Yoruba to be wary of Afonja-styled politicians who for the sake of personal ambition are ready to sell Yoruba patrimony.

     The group said: “Yoruba land cannot afford another interregnum – the type that set us back between 2003 and 2011.

    “To this extent, we recommend for your adoption Akinwunmi Ambode for Lagos State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun for  Ogun State Governor and Abiola Ajimobi for Oyo State Governor.

    “ARG is convinced that the current renaissance of good governance, developmental strides and welfare policies that has commenced in our land, can only continue, be sustained and flourish under these candidates.”

    The group also enjoined the people of Ekiti State “to take a cue from their kith and kin in Ondo State and break through the reactionary clouds hovering over their space, particularly in their choices of House of Assembly candidates, so that they can soar in glorious sky with the rest of the Yoruba.”

    While commending credible Yoruba leaders and groups for rejecting Greek gifts during the presidential election, ARG also thanked Yoruba people for “heeding the call of an assemblage of Omoluabis and authentic and respected monarchs, elders and leaders and for rejecting pretenders who sought to impose a strange leadership culture on us.”