2019: Lagos APC, PDP, group tango over Ambode’s re-election bid

BOLA BADMUS writes on the recent wranglings between the two popular political parties in Lagos State and the bid to stop the Lagos State governor’s re-election in 2019.

Ahead of 2019 governorship poll, Lagos State government, the state chapter of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are engaging themselves in war of words, with the latter claiming to have gotten a magic wand to enable it to defeat incumbent Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and his party in next year’s exercise and is still insisting on that.

The PDP, which won eight State House of Assembly and six House of Representatives’ seats in 2015 poll, gave the vow in reaction to report that 1,500 of its members had defected to APC in the state, describing the report as outrageous propaganda, even as it further declared that 2019 would be the beginning of the end of the APC-led government in the state.

But instantly, the Lagos State government dismissed the threat, saying Governor Ambode cannot be distracted from his set goal of delivering quality dividends of democracy to Lagosians by the party, which it said was reputed for making infantile and highly jejune statements.

The APC also dismissed the boasting by PDP, saying that the governor’s performance alone had endeared his administration to the indigenes and others across the federation.

The State’s Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdul-Akeem Abdul-Lateef, spoke on behalf of the state government, while the spokesperson of APC, Mr Joe Igbokwe, spoke for the party.

Abdul-Lateef, while assuring Lagosians of Governor Ambode’s commitment to them, maintained that the governor would not be distracted by the state chapter of PDP, which he further described as “political Lilliputians whose current retrogression had compelled them to operate as dysfunctional silos.”

According to him, this was because the governor, who had just presented N1.046 trillion budget for the 2018 fiscal year, the size of about nine states of the federation, was irrevocably committed to the completion of all on-going projects in the state.

He listed some of the projects to include the completion of Agege pen-Cinema flyover in nine months, the soon to be completed Oshodi world-class transport interchange which comprises of pedestrian bridges, shopping malls, CCTV, which will regenerate Oshodi into becoming a world class Business District, the proposed four stadia which will be in Igbogbo, Epe, Ajegunle and Badagry, in addition to the existing one in Onikan.

“I want to assure Lagosians that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will not be distracted by the statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The governor will not be distracted by political lilliputians whose current retrogression has compelled them to operate as dysfunctional silos.

“Akinwunmi Ambode is irrevocably committed to the completion of all on-going projects in the state. He has just presented before the Lagos State House of Assembly a budget size of N1.046 trillion worth, the size of about nine states of the federation,” the commissioner said.

“Where does he have the time to respond to them if he has committed himself to the completion of Agege Pen-Cinema flyover in nine months? He has said the Oshodi world-class transport interchange which comprises of pedestrian bridges, shopping malls, CCTV, which will regenerate Oshodi into becoming a world-class business district, will soon be completed.

“Where does he have the time to respond to worthless statement from a failed party when he has committed himself to the completion of the Oshodi International Airport Road in 15 months,” Abdul-Lateef queried, saying, “Imagine the governor that is busy looking for how to build four stadia in the four regions of the state.”

Reacting to the PDP’s statement, Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Igbokwe, while contending that Governor Ambode’s performance alone had endeared his administration to the indigenes and others across the federation, submitted that the major opposition party stood no chance of contesting against Ambode in 2019 governorship poll.

“As it were, Ambode’s performance is currently campaigning as people are already commenting and urging him to go ahead,” Igbokwe said.

But not done yet, the PDP insisted that the party held very strong and definite position that it shall take over Lagos from the APC, come 2019, saying this vow was no threat or merely wishful thinking, but indeed a statement of fact.

This was as it restated that its strategies for winning Lagos, come 2019 were novel and would remain secret until when the real game started.

The party’s spokesperson, while speaking, said the PDP was aware that Governor Ambode was relying on the road projects he had started in some areas of the state, pointing out that finding by PDP with respect to the so-called projects would shock Lagosians.

“Let it be known that we predict Ambode will not contest in 2019 because as soon as we start our own game, even the APC leader would think twice to endorse him?,” he said, declaring that, “Returning him (Ambode) is at APC’s peril.

“The cosmetic projects will not be adequate to save APC from monumental defeat in 2019. No wonder the APC is obviously jittery over the governorship election that they are already using Lagos tax-payers money to sponsor Ambode’s reelection bid by organising various group supports,” the party added.

The Lagos State chapter of PDP, therefore, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify Governor Ambode for the coming poll on account that he had commenced his campaign while the commission was yet to lift a ban on the exercise.

The party, while making the call, said it hinged it on the self-confession of a group ‘Itesiwaju ipinle Eko Vanguard’ led by one Mr Seyi Bamigbade that the group organised a recent 3 Million-Man-March for Governor Ambode’s reelection in 2019.

It described the act as against the rule of the game, urging both the INEC and the Police to speak out on it, else it would deem that the 2019 Lagos governorship election was already rigged for APC.

“Unless the INEC and Police, exert their powers to guarantee credible election by at least giving their opinions on the recent 3 million- man- march for Governor Ambode, we shall deem the 2019 Lagos governorship election as already rigged for APC,” the party said.

The party further urged both the INEC and Police to enforce disqualification of Governor Ambode and ensure needful arrests of all those who were initiators, perpetrators and intended beneficiaries of what it described as pre-election malpractice capable of also overheating the polity and provoking confrontations and violence.

“Such punitive measures by these two important bodies will help serve as the deterrent to all others who can also resort to open campaigns even when the time is not ripe and official,” the PDP said.

The group, Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard, in its own reaction, described the call by PDP on INEC to disqualify the state governor, Mr Ambode, from contesting the 2019 governorship election as ridiculous.

The group comprises social activists, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), artisans and political groups. Coordinator of the group, Mr Seyi Bamigbade, gave this reaction last Wednesday when he led members to meet with the People Welfare Foundation, a group led by Alhaja Latifat Olufunke Gbajabiamila.

Bamigbade said the PDP in the state, by calling on INEC to disqualify Governor Ambode and APC from participating in the 2019 Lagos governorship poll, had started to fail at a time they were supposed to be committed, worked hard on how they can organise their party to relevance in the scheme of things.

Speaking further, Bamigbade described PDP’s call for his and members of Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard’s arrest as a sluggish act, saying that the group and members had not breached any Electoral Act and were simply expressing their views about the governor’s performance.

“We have not breached any Electoral Act. All we are doing is to express our views about a man whose style of governance has endeared him to many Lagos residents in large numbers,” he said.

“Is there any law in the country that stipulates that we should not appreciate good governance and applaud the man making it possible? Has the Lagos PDP not recovered from the last defeat they suffered from APC in the last Local Government polls? Why are they still talking out of context?”, Bamigbade queried.

According to the coordinator, organising 3 Million-Man get-together to celebrate Governor Ambode in three senatorial districts with one million in each of the districts in the state was their own way of showing support and appreciating the governor for not disappointing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Lagosians as a whole.

In response to the allegation by PDP that the state government was deploying state government fund to fund the said campaign, Bamigbade said: “We did not get a dime from Lagos government to bring these like minds together. These are people who are just happy that the governor is making life meaningful for residents, empowering people, building infrastructure, touching lives and areas hitherto neglected. That is what we are talking about, but the PDP being a retrogressive party seems not to get it.”