On Wednesday, the city of Lagos literally went down on its
knees when members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
hit town for their governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode.
It was the day they chose to unveil their youthful flagbearer to
the public.
That sunny Wednsday, all roads led to the Sky Power open
playground near Arch Bishop Vining Memorial Anglican Church,
GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
Leading the August crowd to the venue was no other person
but the National Leader of the party and former Lagos State
Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He led other party
chieftains like the state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola
(SAN), his deputy, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefolure state
chairman of the party, Chief Henry Oladele Ajomole, his
deputy, Cardinal James Omolaja Odunbaku and other party
leaders like Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, Speaker of Lagos
State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji and
former Yaba LCDA Chairman now Lagos Mainland APC House
of Representatives candidate, Abdur-Raheem Olajide Jimoh
(JJ).
The party’s Woman Leader, Chief Kemi Nelson led the women
folks to the arena. Some of them were the First Lady, Dame
Abimbola Fashola, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, former Deputy
Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan among others.
When the candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode along with his
running mate, Alhaja Idiat Oluranti Adebule was heralded into
the venue in an open motorcade, the ecstatic crowd welcome
the duo with ovation while the popular Fuji Maestro, Alhaji
Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, (K1 De Ultimate), treated the jubilant
crowd with praises of Ambode and his ancestors.
Welcoming the crowd of party faithful and supports, the state
chairman of the APC, Chief Ajomole expressed gratitude to
God “for making this day possible,” just as he was full of
thanks to all and sundry, “who found time out of their tight
schedule to be here.”
The elated chairman, who said his remarks would be very
brief had this to say, “By the grace of God, we are going to
win. Somebody who has destroyed the economy of the
country does not deserve re-election. When America had
problem, they changed their government. We are having
problems now. So, we are changing the government at the
center as we are putting another round peg into a round hole
in Lagos State for continuity.”
He thereafter invited the National Leader, Asiwaju Tinubu amid
shout of, “Jagaban Borgu,” “Asiwaju of Africa,” “Governor
Emeritus,” and so on.
After the preambles spiced with funny proverbs and rip
cracking quotations that sent the audience into uncontrollable
laughter, Tinubu now told the August gathering “why
Jonathan must go and why Lagosians should vote for Ambode
and other APC candidates across Nigeria.”
To start with, he described the PDP an “an Ebola-infested
party that should be avoided,” urging the people to flee from
its candidates and whatever is associated with it at the
elections.
According to him, it was evident that the APC will win the
general elections, asserting that, Ambode is better than the
PDP candidate in terms of experience about governance.
Tinubu said: “There is no way for the Poverty Development
Party, the Peoples Deception Party in Lagos because Lagos is
not for experimentation.”
He spoke further: “Lagos has faith in a better and rewarding
future. We said Lagos will not spoil ( Eko o ni baje ). PDP is
Ebola. But, we say Lagos is not for experiment. We know
where we are coming from. We know where we are going. We
don’t need experiment in Lagos.”
While stating that the APC government has lived up to
expectation in the last eight years under Fashola, Tinubu, who
described himself as an expert in talent hunt, added that,
“continuity is desirable,” adding that the choice of Fashola as
the 2007 flag bearer has produced fruits of development,
progress and prosperity for Lagosians.”
He then declared: “Today is a great day. I am a proud man. I
am happy. I thank the Almighty God. This crowd makes me to
be proud of Lagosians. In 2007, I handed over to one young
man. I brought him before you. I told you he would perform
better; that he is a SAN with a sound mind. That man is
Babatunde Raji Fashola.
“It has been eight years of performance, unequalled
performance, unbroken promises, sound experience,
construction of good schools and roads, employment for
younger people, youth skill development. Mother and Child
hospitals are getting better. The state has made progress
under the leadership of Fashola.
“I am a proud leader and father. Whatever they may say, who
is the father of this talent? I am the one. Our prayer is that
our children will live and perform better than us. May your
children live and perform better than you.”
Noting that Lagos State also produced Prof. Yemi Oshinbajo
(SAN) as the APC vice presidential candidate, he said the
legal scholar will team up with General Muhammadu Buhari in
the implementation of the commonsense revolution. He said,
since Nigeria is facing grace challenges, it needs special
leaders at the state and federal levels to navigate the ship of
the state.
Tinubue stressed: “I am happy that Osinbajo, a former
member of Lagos State cabinet, is the running mate to Buhari,
who is a straightforward, bold, honest Nigerian. A nation
needs a special leader in its time of trial. Nigeria made a
mistake in electing Jonathan in 2011. Jonathan is a man who
gives excuses. He has admitted that he has failed. No more
repeat. We want Buhari. Jonathan must go.
“Jonathan has spent all the money. He is spendthrift. Now,
revenue is dropping. We need a man of intellect and an expert
in financial engineering. When the Lagos money was seized,
Ambode
Recalling how Ambode became the candidate, he said it was
in response to the yearning of the youths, women and leaders
of Lagos who rooted for him because they wanted a talented,
experienced youth to continue where Fashola would stop.
He thereafter presented Ambode to the public thus: “It is
therefore my joy to present Akinwumi Ambode to you.”
In his his address, Fashola, amid the shout of; “the Actualizer
of our time,” from the audience urged Lagosians to reject the
PDP at the polls, regretting that, “PDP leaders are fond of
peddling falsehood,” just as he said that, “PDP is more terrible
than Ebola.”
Fashola therefore advised Lagosians of 18 years and above to
vote wisely, adding that they could not be disqualified if armed
with their permanent or temporary voter’s cards. The
governor, who berated the President for failing to fight the
infrastructure battle, said that he does not deserve re-
election.
He added: “Jonathan is complaining that Buhari who was in
power in 1985 did not buy guns for the military. But, Nigerians
solders have been part of the ECOMOG in their peace-keeping
mission in West Africa. Does Jonathan want to fight insecurity
with 1985 guns?”
Noting that the next administration will face some challenges,
Fashola said, since the next challenge is financial
management, Ambode is fit for the job.
Admitting that the task of a governor is tedious, Lagos State
Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) urged Lagosians to
endorse the youthful governorship candidate, saying that he is
full of vigour, zest and energy.
He stressed: “It is a tough job, no doubt. I took the job at the
age of 44. Now, I am 52. When I took the job, I could count
the number of grey hairs I had. Now, I can only count the
strands of black I have left. I thank Lagosians for giving me
the job. I thank Lagosians for also taking care of me.
Akinwumi Ambode is younger than me. You need youthfulness
to do this job. That man (the PDP candidate) is already 60.
An old man cannot do the job. If you call him at midnight, he
will not pick your call.”
Exuding confidence and radiating air of joy, the flagbearer,
Akinwunmi Ambode, who was described as the choice of the
youths, waved his broom to the crowd as he promised to run
an accountable government, if elected at the February 28 poll.
The youthful finance expert and accountant of repute cum
politician, who was accompanied by his wife, Bola, reminded:
“I have been an accountant all my life. I will be accountable
to you. We will make life more economically viable. We will
make Lagos safer. We will set up an Employment Trust fund
that will make youths have access to finance for
entrepreneurship.
“I will be like BRF. I will be like Asiwaju. I have learned under
them. They will pray for me. I will perform better than them. I
will not disappoint Lagosians. Our party exists in all local
governments and nooks and crannies. We stand for the
protection of lives and property. We will carry all the people
along, irrespective of their tribes.
“At the centre, we need change. The economy may collapse, if
it is left in the hands of the PDP. Some parts of the North has
been taken over by the Boko Haram. Enough of suffering
under the PDP. We should vote for Buhari and Osinbajo on
February 14 and 28.”
Ome actors, actresses and artistes that thrilled and spoke in
turns at the event included but not limited to, ace fuji
musician, Alhaji Ayinde Wasiu, Buga, Kunle Afod, Iyabo Oko,
Remi Surutu, Doris Simon, Segun Ogungbe, Sikiratu Sindodo,
and the dreaded actor, Ojo Arowosoge popularly called, Fadeyi
Oloro .
While Alhaji Kabiru Ahmed of LASEPA addressed the gathering
in Hausa, Chief Chris Ekwilo also made comments in Igbo.
