The purported rift between Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been described as a lie.
An aide to the governor was quoted by The Guardian as confirming this on Tuesday.
The aide said that the relationship between Ambode and his predecessor has remained cordial ahead of the 2019 governorship elections in the state.
Recall that several online newspapers had reported how Tinubu and Ambode were at loggerheads over the option of primary to be used during the governorship primary in the state.
Tinubu is believed to favour the direct primary option recommended by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, while Ambode, who is seeking a second term, is believed to be in support of indirect primary.
Recall that Acting National Publicity Secretary of APC, Yekini Nabena said after Thursday’s NEC meeting that, “The use of indirect primaries is conditional and dependent on logistic impediments , peculiarities and the needs that make a given state unable to use direct primaries.”
But the unnamed governor’s aide debunked reports of the alleged rift, adding that Ambode was not contemplating defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as portrayed in the reports.
“There is no rift and there can never be a rift.
“It is not possible for the governor , the poster boy of the party , to join the PDP,” the source was quoted as saying.
The source said the primary option to use could not cause a rift because only Ambode had indicated interest in the 2019 governorship ticket of the APC.
The aide said, “As I speak , there is no contender for APC governorship primary with Ambode .
“Nobody is coming out ; even in PDP , nobody is coming out . The governor is the only person that is contesting. To the best of my knowledge , I don’ t think anybody from the party is coming to challenge him. That will be difficult.”
The aide said that the party’s chances in the state have been further boosted with last week’s defection of Lagos State PDP Chairman, Moshood Salvador to APC.