By Pascal Oparada
Emerging signs show that the current governor of Lagos State may be fighting for his political life as the former of the state governor and Ambode’s benefactor, Bola Tinubu may have endorsed another candidate, Jide Sanyaolu for the Lagos top job.
According to media reports on Tuesday, this was followed by endorsements of Sanyaolu by all the 20 council chairmen and 30 Local Council Development Area chairmen (LCDA) in the state.
Over 50 chairmen are loyal to Tinubu Ambode’s estranged godfather who met with them and publicly endorsed Sanyaolu.
Most members of the House of Assembly are also loyal to Tinubu.
“Meeting is over. Ambode is out. Jide Sanyaolu is the new governor of Lagos. All 57 local government chairman have signed his form. It’s over,” a source said.
TheNiche could not independently verify this claim.
On Monday, Ambode, alongside some members of his cabinet visited the All Progressives Congress Headquarters in Abuja to get expression of interest and nomination forms for his 2019 bid.
“With your support, we have made Lagos a better place and changed the face of our state. I did not do it alone; we did it together, because you believed,” he had said.
“So, I humbly call you again, to give me your support as I seek to continue with your mandate to steer the affairs of our state. I ask you to believe again and together, let’s achieve more.”
However, Sanyaolu and Obafemi Hamzat, prominent members of APC, also picked nomination forms of the party for the governorship slot in the state.
Sanyaolu served as commissioner under Ambode’s predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, and is currently Managing Director of Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC).
If the alleged fallout of Ambode with Tinubu proves true, it will reminisce a similar scenario in 2011 when Fashola was almost denied a second term ticket of the then ACN by Tinubu. It took a media and public outrage for Fashola to be re-elected governor.
Tinubu caused a controversy recently in Osun State when he said he was richer than the state. The comment drew widespread condemnation and caused protests in the state capital Osogbo.