The search for the next governor of Lagos State after Babatunde Fashola, has since begun and may have been narrowed if the recent wholesale endorsement of Akinwunmi Ambode by the traditional institution in the state is anything to go by.
Before that Thursday, those who had indicated interest in the race include Adeyemi Ikuforiji, speaker of the State House of Assembly; Ganiyu Solomon, who represents Lagos West Senatorial District in the Senate; Femi Hamzat, commissioner for Works and Infrastructure; Tunji Bello, commissioner for the Environment; Leke Pitan, a former commissioner for Health; Muiz Banire, a former commissioner for Transport and later Environment, and Gbenga Ashafa, former permanent secretary in the state Lands Bureau and currently a senator representing Lagos East in the Senate.
Ambode, a technocrat and former accountant-general of the state, who voluntarily resigned from service and proceeded to Harvard for further studies, may have been anointed to succeed Fashola, even though the powers that be in the state have denied the wholesale adoption by Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos.
The monarch used the opportunity provided by the launch of a book on the biography of Ambode, ‘The Art of Selfless Service,’ written by Maria Osoba, to drop a verbal bomb that has since sent tongues wagging.
Without batting eyelids, Akiolu told the gathering that Lagos had settled for Ambode and that there was no longer vacant in Alausa.
Urging other gubernatorial aspirants of the All Progressive Congress (ACP) in the state to give Ambode the necessary support, the monarch went down memory lane.
“When the APC leader, Bola Tinubu, chose Fashola in 2007 to succeed him, it was met with stiff opposition but today Tinubu has been justified. We see a similar character like Governor Fashola in Ambode,” Akiolu said to his flabbergasted audience.
He was not through yet as he further intoned: “You people know me well that I do not hide my feelings on where I stand on issues. We the royal fathers have consulted widely within the state with the sons and daughters of Lagos and have come to the conclusion that the best person to take over from Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the iconic governor of Lagos State is Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.
Had the crowned head stopped at that point, adrenaline may not have run high, but his subsequent lines were considered in some quarters as the “most unkindest cut of all.”
“We cannot have a man like this and allow somebody whose father is an Oba in Ewekoro, Ogun State be the governor of Lagos. Although Lagos State belongs to all Nigerians and the state will continue to offer opportunities to every Nigerian to actualise the Nigerian dream, Ambode remains the best man with the required pedigree and character to take Lagos to the next level”, the first class monarch said.
Observers say the open imprimatur of the traditional institution could not have been possible without the express collaboration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is arguably the kingmaker-general in APC, both in Lagos and at the national level within the broom party.
Although the leadership of the party has since embarked on what pundits described as damage control drive, there have been variegated reactions to Oba Akiolu’s statements.
A highly credible source within the party, who craved anonymity, told our reporter that “the oracle has spoken”.
“What happened on that Thursday could not have been possible without the knowledge of the owners of the party. If Oba said such a thing without an express permission from some quarters, you would have seen the effect instantly. The political leadership would have openly queried him over such an inciting statement that is capable of engendering strife among brothers and sisters in the state. Although Tinubu was not at the event, his interest was represented. The Oba as you know too well cannot make such a sweeping endorsement that is capable of tearing the state apart without even clearing from Alausa. You may wonder, when had political affairs of a state become the affairs of traditional institution? What the Oba did was just to pass the message that had been whispered to him; the Oba could not have, on his own, made such a sweeping statement”, the source said.
Pundits say if the pronouncements of Oba Akiolu were indeed the mind of the party leadership in Lagos, it is capable of causing a serious disaffection akin to what transpired in Ekiti State that resulted in Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB) decamping to the Labour Party, where he is currently prosecuting his gubernatorial ambition.
“My take in all of this is that the way the monarch went about the announcement was as if others in the party aspiring to that office, who have also served or are still serving the state in various capacities, are lesser mortals. If there was going to be a consensus, it should be discussed where all those with ambition would be carried along. With what has happened now, any aspirant going to pick form when it is time for that, will be doing so at his or her own peril, and that is not democracy”, said a critic, who simply described himself as an activist.
Meanwhile, Sunday Dare, an aide to Tinubu reportedly denied that Akiolu acted the script of the former governor of Lagos State when he declared Ambode was the preferred successor to Fashola in 2015.
“Tinubu was not in the country when the traditional ruler made the statement. A lot of questions have been asked since the monarch made the statement but my boss would respond if the need be”, he said.
Joe Igbokwe, the APC publicity secretary, Lagos State chapter, told journalists at the venue of the book launch that the monarch merely said his mind and not necessarily the position of the party.
Leke Pitan, who served in various capacities under Tinubu’s government, said he haboured no ill-feeling against anybody’s personal opinion, adding that he has not lost faith in the party’s constitution that spelt out the modalities for selecting the candidate.
“If any intimidation was intended, it has not achieved its purpose. We are even more resolute in our goal and it has galvanised many more citizens of Lagos State to stand and support us”, he said.
In a sweep reaction to the Oba’s endorsement of Ambode, the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), alleged it was the handiwork of Tinubu.
Taofik Gani, publicity secretary of Lagos PDP, said: “In a show of shame and an attempt to support the wish of Tinubu, the Oba reportedly endorsed Akin Ambode as the next befitting governor of Lagos State after Fashola. In a very undemocratic manner, the Oba went further to berate other aspirants to the office, counseling them to concede to Akin Ambode. Now that Oba Akiolu has openly manifested his partisanship and favouritism for a party and aspirant, we have no choice but to caution the Oba.
“The Oba’s action is regrettable and very unbecoming of a ruler expected to be a father for all. His decision to openly descend into the murky waters of partisan politics has unequivocally confirmed him as not fit and proper to be a ruler, not to talk of Oba of Lagos.”
Zebulon Agomuo
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