Ambode will lead my campaign -Sanwo-Olu

Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Against the run of play, former Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment Pensions and Training, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this wide-ranging interview with selected journalists, he speaks on several critical issues facing the state. Wale Ajetunmobi was there.

You defeated Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the APC primaries that would have earned him a second term, will you allow him lead your campaign?

Well, thank you very much. Yes, it is true that I won the APC primary which qualified me as the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 elections. I must also let you know that the last two months have been very interesting for me and the entire political landscape in the country because of the unprecedented nature of the outcome.

That means politics is working. It also implies that when you give power to the people, especially via the type of primary we ran, which was direct primary, you certainly cannot second-guess the outcome. With that outcome, Lagosians, who are APC members, have provided me with the huge opportunity of serving Lagosians and given me the responsibility of leading the state.

As the winner of the APC primary, and by the reason of their votes, I am now in this position; seeking the supports and votes of Lagosians towards becoming the next Governor of Lagos State. I am humbled by their trust in me, and I must say that I am equally equipped for the role of the Governor of Lagos State.

The second part of your question, which is whether Governor Ambode will play a role in my campaign. See, Governor Ambode is my Governor. We have only one Governor in Lagos today, and his name is Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. We are in the same APC.  He will certainly lead my campaign and play all the important roles he needs to play for us to win.

The primary has gone, and we are in the trenches with our sleeves rolled-up, working hard and strategizing on how to attain electoral victory for our party. Beyond politicking, Governor Ambode is my brother. We have known ourselves long before now. As I said earlier, we are members of the same political family.

As party men, we are building a strong coalition and formidable force that will deliver victory to our party in the coming election in Lagos. He has all the machinery that will help me, and the party achieve this goal.  In terms of bitterness, I hold no bitterness and he probably does not as well. We will do all our best. I will open up to him to give me all the support I require to do well in the election. Party men and women have spoken.

The task before us is to go to the people of Lagos, who are not card-carrying members of our party, to seek their mandate. We need to make Lagosians know that my candidacy is the one that will deliver the greatest good for the greatest number of people. That is what this election is about and that is what my candidacy represents.

Are you really the choice of APC members, or just a stooge of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu whom he imposed on the party?

I find comments like this interesting when I hear them. I am sure you have been following developments in Lagos APC since the primary where over 1million party men and women came out to cast their votes and the results were out, a product of which I am. My emergence or candidacy has nothing to do with Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. It has nothing to do with the party leadership. It has to do with me taking part in a direct primary.

A direct primary in which every card-carrying party member exercised their voting right. It is not fair to reduce this to just a man, who is our leader. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not just a state leader, he is a national leader of our party. He is preoccupied with issues about the development of Nigeria. He is busy with how to achieve the Nigerian dream. He is our father. He is our leader. We are all his children.

In this Story: #APC #BabajideSanwoOlu #AkinwunmiAmbode

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