The race for the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos got tighter yesterday as all the councillors in the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas threw their support behind the incumbent Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
The councillors’ endorsement flies in the face of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body in the Lagos APC, which recently endorsed Ambode’s main challenger, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Hundreds of the councillors, who gathered in the state capital, Ikeja, under the aegis of the Councillors’ Forum to endorse Ambode said that “courageously we are saying it boldly that we have adopted the Governor’s second term”.
Speaking to reporters at the headquarters of Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG), the local lawmakers also debunked a report that they shunned an invitation from Ambode to a meeting.
The councillors described the report as the handiwork of detractors who are bent on misleading the public and insisted that the incumbent governor will win the party’s ticket to seek reelection.
The leader of the Forum, Hon Kolejo-Monsuru Adeniyi, who spoke on behalf of the group, said that the councillors were backing Ambode to ensure his victory at the governorship primaries.
He also described the report of shunning the governor’s invitation as unfortunate.
Hon Adeniyi said, “There is no iota of truth in the report that we shunned Governor Ambode’s invitation and we are here today to say to the whole world that all Councilors in Lagos State are behind the second term bid of His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Today, we are courageously saying it boldly that we have adopted the Governor for second term.
“This is the second time we are doing this. The first time was in Amuwo-Odofin and today being 30th of September, 2018, we are saying it again that all Councilors in Lagos State, we are endorsing Governor Ambode for second term.”
In his response, the Director General of AMSG, Hon Hakeem Sulaimon, appreciated the councillors for being the conscience of the party when those who should be failed to live up to their responsibility.
Hon Sulaimon said, “I congratulate you because those who are supposed to be the conscience of our party have failed to do so but you (Councilors) have been courageous enough to come out and endorse His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State for second term.
“Yesterday, we had a meeting with Councilors here and while the meeting was going on, some people quickly went online. Vanguard online to be specific and they said Councilors in Lagos State shunned Akinwunmi Ambode.
“Those behind the false news know the implication of the endorsement because Councilors are truly the grassroots’ managers because elections can only be conducted at the Ward level and that Councilors are the true representatives of the people at the Ward level.They know that with Councilors being with His Excellency, an attempt to manipulate the process will be very difficult, and that was why they were desperate to present fake news to the public.”
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC has rescheduled the governorship primaries in Lagos earlier scheduled for today to tomorrow Tuesday, October 2.