………..promises a level playing field for all aspirants
Contrary to speculations, the national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has denied having an anointed candidate, in the person of Akinwunmi Ambode to succeed Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola as governor of Lagos State come May 29, 2015.
Before this clarification from Tinubu, APC members are of the general belief that Tinubu has anointed former Accountant General of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode as the next governor of the state which generated bad blood between other governorship aspirants on one hand, and the Ambode and Tinubu camps on the other.
As a result of an impending crisis within the party, Tinubu moved fast and immediately called for a meeting of the governorship aspirants of the party in his Bourdillon Ikoyi residence on Sunday, 9th November, 2014, to douse the raging crisis.
At the meeting, Tinubu was emphatic that he is not supporting any aspirant assuring them that a level playing ground will be provided for all the aspirants to participate in the primary to pick the party’s candidate.
“Stop dropping my name. I’m not supporting any aspirant and I don’t intend to support one. All of you will go through primaries and the person with the best programme will win,” the former Governor of Lagos State was quoted as saying.
He reportedly told the aspirants to sell themselves to the party members with a view to picking the necessary delegates which will ensure victory for them at the primary.
At the meeting with Tinubu were the following: former National Chairman of the APC and ex-Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande; the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammad; and Lagos State Chairman of the party, Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale.
Virtually all APC governorship aspirants attended the meeting, prominent among them are: Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon; state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; the man in the eye of the storm himself, Akinwunmi Ambode; Speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sabit Adeyemi Ikuforiji; and former state Commissioner for Health, Dr Leke Pitan among others.