National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has laid to rest his alleged preference for Akinwunmi Ambode, in the race for succession in the governorship of Lagos state next year.
The belief among members of the party in the state is that Tinubu has annointed former Accountant General of the state,Akinwunmi Ambode as the next governor of the state.
This scenario generated bad blood between other governorship aspirants on one hand, and the Ambode and Tinubu camps on the other.
The issue was also degenerating to a crisis level that is threatening to destroy the party.
It was on account of this that Tinubu called a meeting of the governorship aspirants of the party in his Bourdillon Ikoyi residence on Sunday, 9th November, 2014, to douse the raging crisis.
According to The News Nigeria, at the meeting, Tinubu was emphatic that he is not supporting any aspirant assuring them that a level playing ground will be provided for all the apsirants to participate in the primary to pick the party’s candidate.
“Stop dropping my name. I’m not supporting any aspirant and I don’t intend to support one. All of you will go through primary and the person with the best programme will win,” the former Governor of Lagos State was quoted as saying.
He reportedly told the aspirants to sell themselves to the party members with a view to picking the necessary delegates which will ensure victory for them at the primary.
At the meeting with Tinubu were the following: former National Chairman of the APC and ex-Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande; the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammad; and Lagos State Chairman of the party, Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale.
Virtually all APC governorship aspirants attended the meeting, prominent among them are: Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon; state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; Ambode (pictured); Speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sabit Adeyemi Ikuforiji; and former state Commissioner for Health, Dr Leke Pitan among others.
