*As Sanwo-Olu appoints campaign team
*He can’t be threat to Ambode – Supporters
*Oba Akiolu absent as Governor meets stakeholders in State House
* Why Ambode should be allow – Article
By Our reporter
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has said that its doors are open for the embattled Governor Akinwumi Ambode, in even that he decides to come into its fold.
It said it would not reject a big personality like the governor to join in its bid to take the state from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming governorship in the state.
The PDP, which has failed in the last four transitions since the Fourth Republic started about close to over 19 years ago to unseat the progressives, issued a statement to formally intervene to see if it can catch on the current impasse in the ruling APC to have the now battered governor into its fold.
The PDP’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Taofeek Gani in a statement, said that the party would be glad to receive Ambode into its fold if he decided to leave APC for whatever reason.
He said: “Any forward-looking party would not have rejected its main opponent joining it, especially a big personality like Ambode.
“We are ready to welcome him (Ambode) to our party if he decides to join for any reason. We are very ready to accept him if he decides to join us.
“You see PDP is a party for all, so far as the value will be added. We cannot turn down our opponents, especially a big personality like Ambode.
“Therefore, he is welcome. His joining us will add value and boost our chances to win the state.”
Gani added that the party would accord him all the rights and privileges with the existing members to realise his political ambitions.
Just as the PDP was making its overtures, supporters of the Governor Ambode within the APC fold, said to be aligned to Fouad Oki, had on Thursday dismissed the claim that Ambode had reached a political dead end as one of them insisted that the governor would return to Alausa.
He said Jide Sanya-Olu popularly believed to be the bride choice of Bourdillon would never be of any threat to the governor.
“To me, Ambode is very much in the race. From every investigation, there is nothing concrete against him. Jide Sanwoolu supporters are no threat to the ambition of Ambode.
“The Sanwo-Olu groups are just making noise in the media of the Mandate Group. Their numbers can’t take them into electoral victory; I know that for a fact,” he said.
In the meantime, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, touted to be the man to slot it out with Governor Akinwumi Ambode at the in the race for the APC ticket, has set up a 21-member team to handle his campaign for the governorship project.
The new move by the fresher governorship aspirant signifies that, against Wednesday’s denial of rift by Ambode between him and Tinubu, the political relevance of the governor is now clearly on way to the extinction except any help come from outside.
The move came in the light of disclosures that APC national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was under tremendous pressure from his political base not to support a second term for Governor Ambode.
A media report has it that the pressure on Tinubu from his political base came as a faction of the APC in the state, some monarchs, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rallied to the side of the embattled governor of the nation’s economic nerve centre.
The report said that a group of 50 opposition political parties operating in cahoots with some activists under the aegis of Lagos Democracy Advancement Forces said the evolving crisis in the APC was a golden opportunity for the state to be liberated from the apron strings of Asiwaju Tinubu.
Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu, the choice of Tinubu’s supporters in anticipation of glory Thursday, promised to reveal himself soon as he urged the political base not to be distracted by rumours and insinuations on his objectives.
Director-General of the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation, Hon. Tayo Ayinde, announced in a statement he issued Thursday night the appointment of a 21-man campaign committee including three senatorial coordinators.
Among those named as members of the committee were the Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni (Director of Research and Intelligence), Majority Leader, Senai Agunbiade, (Director of Legal) and Chairman of Agege Local Government, Mr. Kola Egunjobi, who is to coordinate Non-governmental Organisations, NGOs, civil society and students.
The senatorial coordinators appointed were Hon. Rasak Ajala (West), Hon. Wahab King (Central) and Mayor Dele Oshinowo (East).
Also among the campaign directors appointed yesterday were Alhaji Abdullahi Eniloobo (Mobilisation), Hon. Sesan Dani (Media and Publcity) and Hon. Bolanle Akinyemi-Obe (Women Affairs).
Why Ambode should be allow – Article
In an opinion article published earlier on Thursday by Prince Bashir Adefaka, a Lagos journalist, appeals were made to the deciders of who runs in Lagos politics to forgive embattled Governor Akinwumi Ambode and allow him his second term.
According to the article to which great human right lawyers and social activists of note had reacted, the media practitioner x-rayed the offences and the inadequacies of Ambode.
The article noted that, “Fashola worked from May 29, 2007 to May 28, 2015 without indiscriminate refuse dumps in Lagos streets and all the road works he did were done without inflicting hardship on movement of people and he also beautified Lagos with flowers. What is the basis for the Ambode’s government neglecting the Fashola style? Could it be some people so advising him to make him unpopular to their own favour like what he is currently facing?”
It however advised that “Whatever the offences and inadequacies of Governor Akinwumi Ambode may be, deciders of who flies the governorship kite of Lagos APC must be able to sheathe their sword, swallow their anger and develop the spirit of forgiveness. If you must stop him because you no longer like his face, you should allow him because of the achievements he has made. If it is about areas he has inadequacies, for the sake of better Lagos, security and welfare of innocent masses of Lagos, and Nigeria as a whole, render him your support and help him to mend those fences.”
