2019: Lagos PDP’s call for ban on Ambode ridiculous ―Group

A group, Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard, comprising social activists, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), artisans and political groups, has described recent call by Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ban the state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, from contesting the 2019 governorship election as ridiculous.

Coordinator of the group, Mr Seyi Bamigbade, gave this reaction on Wednesday when he led the group to meet with the People Welfare Foundation, group led by Alhaja Hon. Latifat Olufunke Gbajabiamila the mother of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, representing Surulere 1 Federal Constituency in Lagos.

Bamigbade said the PDP in the state are supposed to be committed, working hard on how they can organise their party to relevance in the scheme of things instead of calling on INEC to disqualify Governor Ambode and APC from participating in the 2019 Lagos governorship poll.

He described PDP’s call for his and members of Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard’s arrest as a sluggish act, saying that they 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. 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 fumed.

The group coordinator said organizing three 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,

“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,” Bamigbade said.

Also speaking, Alhaja (Hon) Latifat Olufunke Gbajabiamila disclosed that members of her group throughout the state had also started canvassing support for Governor Ambode to continue in office.