2023 Presidency: Ambode Rejects Tinubu As AMCO Challenges Sanwoolu

 

A former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has rejected the presidential aspiration of the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, insisting that the ambition of his former boss is not the reflection of the wishes of the majority of Nigerians.

 

The position of the former Governor was made public by Olawale Oluwo, the coordinator of the Ambode Campaign Organisation (AMCO), the political structure of the ex-accountant general of the state, who was a guest in a programme aired on a Lagos-based radio station City FM.

 

Tinubu is one of the 12 aspirants eying the presidential ticket under the ruling party with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo being one of his main challengers for the big prize.

 

However, the AMCO admitted that the two political gladiators have the right to aspire but they won’t enjoy the support of the group and their principal.

 

“It’s within the right of Osinbajo and Tinubu to join the presidential race, but AMCO believes that the state is not owned by any of the candidates. It’s owned by the people. Bola Tinubu is not our favourite candidate,” Oluwo said.

 

Oluwo, a former Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources in the state, also revealed that AMCO will fully participate in the next election with a view to challenging the dominant forces in Lagos and restoring power to the people.

 

The group also revealed that even though Ambode can statutorily stand for an election again having spent a term as governor, he will not put himself up for the next guber polls.

 

Ambode was the Lagos State Governor between 2015 and 2019 but was denied a ticket for reelection by a coalition headed by Tinubu. The ticket was instead offered to the incumbent, Babajide Sanwoolu.

 

AMCO flayed the Governor’s Advisory Council of the Lagos APC, which claimed to have endorsed Governor Sanwoolu for the second term. AMCO said the GAC has no constitutional recognition and can’t choose the Governor for the state.

 

Oluwo said: “The APC in Lagos State must be guided by its constitution and guidelines. As far as we know the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) is like an NGO and it’s not known to the constitution. The GAC can make recommendations but cannot control the party. It can sponsor candidates the same way AMCO can sponsor candidates. Governor Sanwo-Olu has picked his form and the AMCO candidate will also pick his form.

 

“AMCO will participate in all the elections. Ambode will not contest the governorship election; we would pick our candidate for the governorship primary. We will pick our candidate and we will go to the field. It’s not sustainable for a set of people to continue to decide who gets what in this state. We want to work with like minds. That change that was frustrating in 2019 made me leave the party, but things have changed with the new leadership in the party at the national level.”

 

Oluwo said AMCO will challenge Sanwoolu at the polls because they discovered that the majority of Lagosians were dissatisfied with the performance of the current Governor and are yearning for an alternative that will restore the glory of the state.

 

Oluwo said that with the emergence of the new National Chairman, his group is confident that there will be fairness and justice, adding that AMCO members are ready to operate in a free and fair environment.

 

“On the suitability of Governor Sanwo-Olu for the second term, we sent our people to the field in the last four months to feel the pulse of Lagosians. The data we got from the field seems to suggest that he has not done well. You cannot compare our administration with that of Sanwo-Olu. Yes, he completed some projects of Ambode and he neglected some.

 

“AMCO is approaching politics from a completely different perspective. We have structures across the 20 local government areas in the state. Our approach is not that of a godfather; our philosophy and approach are very clear. We want people to play an active part in the politics of the state. Our members have been collecting election forms but they are not making noise about it. But people will begin to know them by next week,” he added.

 

However, Oluwo shot down insinuation that the group was planning to dump the ruling APC for the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said the strategy was to challenge the status quo from within the system even though they are open to coalitions that could lead to the success of the project.

 

“We want to challenge them from inside. If they want to cooperate we will cooperate with them, but if they refuse then let us go to the field. We are ready for a coalition, a broad coalition to defeat the status quo. If the people want change, AMCO is ready to lead that change,” he added.

 

Political watchers are surprised Ambode had maintained a low profile since he was pushed out of power in 2019 but Oluwo insisted the silence from his boss was strategic.

 

He debunked the rumours that the former Governor became elusive because he was also denied a ministerial appointment.

 

“Ambode has not been silent. He has been strategically and tactically building his structure. The ministerial appointment is not a condition to do so. Yes, Ambode benefited from godfatherism, but the people of Lagos state say enough is enough. Why must we continue with it”, said Oluwo.