The Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) has sent a petition to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole, over the endorsement of his opponent in the forthcoming governorship primary by the party leadership in the state. NAN reports that chairman of the group, Mr Akeem Sulaimon, made this known at a rally on Sunday in Lagos to mobilise support for the second term bid of Ambode.
Sulaimon said the action of the state Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, and members of the Governorship Advisory Council (GAC) in endorsing an aspirant as candidate of the party was a violation of the party’s constitution.
On Saturday, Sen. Anthony Adefuye, a member of the council, announced the endorsement to party members at a stakeholders’ meeting at the ACME Road state party secretariat.
He said the GAC, the highest decision-making body of the chapter, arrived at the endorsement after a meeting which lasted for several hours.
Adefuye said the meeting was chaired by national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and was attended by other prominent members of the party.
Adefuye listed Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa as some of those also at the meeting.
He said that the decision to back Sanwo-Olu, a former Commissioner for Training and Establishment, against the incumbent, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, was in the interest of the state and the party.
But Sulaimon, who is also the special Adviser to Gov. Ambode on Communities and Communications, said that the support group could not fathom why the second term bid of the governor was being hindered.
He said current events had shown that the leadership of the state executive had been compromised and therefore could not produce an unbiased primary election. Sulaimon appealed to members to go out enmasse on Monday in their various Local Government Areas to vote for Gov. Ambode, and not allow themselves be intimidated at the primary. Members of the group, at the rally, pledged support for the governor, expressing confidence that his performance had endeared him to many Lagosians. The members and supporters, clad in shirts and other materials implying their support for Ambode, took a walk from Maryland to Freedom Park, Ojota. They sang in support of the governor, chanting reasons why he deserved the right to be allowed to run for a second term in office.
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