Ambode Must Go Through Primaries With Others – GAC Insists

Ambode Must Go Through Primaries With Others – GAC Insists

The Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) met on Saturday in Lagos with the members insisting that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state must go through the primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

A source told journalists that,’’ The Issue of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Obafemi Hamzat was discussed. The Mandate group were split in their opinion concerning the governor but the other members insisted that the governor must go and test his popularity at the primary election.

‘’They recommended that an eight man committee be set up to look at the modalities for the primary election. That is where I think they may come up with plans that will favour the governor. Because of the issues at stake the governor has not really been mobilizing his people, groups. The other groups have been doing that. I think it is fair for him to start mobilization now because it is clear that they won’t give him automatic ticket. No one will give the governor APC ticket on the platform of gold like the other governors that governed the state that were endorsed by the leader and got the ticket.’’

It will be recalled that the political future of the Lagos State Governor has been a topic of discussion in the Nigerian media for some time ever since the endorsement of Babajide Sanwo-Olu by the Mandate Movement, a group loyal to the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

It got tensed when Sanwo-Olu, who is the Managing Director of Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) when the critical stakeholders of the Lagos APC deserted the governor’s camp and started endorsing Sanwo-Olu who is major challenger of the governor for APC ticket in the state.

It was gathered that the Presidency as well as some governors of the APC had tried to appeal to Tinubu to support the incumbent Lagos State Governor for a second term in office.

The reality presently is that Governor Ambode will have to test his popularity at the APC primary polls scheduled to take place on Saturday 28^th of September, 2018 to secure a ticket for the Lagos 2019 governorship election if the decision taken by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), who met at Tinubu’s residence in Bourdillon Road in Ikoyi, Lagos is anything to rely upon.

The membership of the council, made up of the governor and leaders of the party across the three senatorial districts of the state, with Tinubu as chairman, include, Dr. Olorunfemi Bashorun; Senator Anthony Adefuye, Prof. Tunde Samuel, Chief Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi and Cardinal James Odumbaku.