Lagos 2019: Ambode Ready to Contest APC Governorship Primary

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

By Ayo Balogun

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Amidst his plead to the party Leadership, Lagos State Governor; Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode Wednesday has announced his willingness to participate in the State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship primary slated for this Saturday, September 29.

Already, the party’s Leadership has resolved to adopt direct primary for the exercise.

Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan in a press statement, disclosed that Governor Ambode has restated his readiness in line with the choice of the party and the validation given to the direct primary preference by the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).

“As our great party approaches Saturday, September 29^th, 2018, earmarked for the direct primary election to choose the candidate to fly our party’s gubernatorial flag at the next general election, I am happy to restate my commitment to participate in that process having procured and submitted my nomination form and having formally declared my intention to seek a second term to continue on the path of unprecedented growth and development that our State has witnessed since 2015”.

‘’The Governor expressed profound gratitude to the National Leader of the Party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; party elders and executives; GAC members; all APC members and every Lagosian “whose support, understanding and prayers have assisted me in no small measures in being used as an instrument through which our State has redefined the concept of greatness” the Governor said.

The Governor said in seeking re-election, he is approaching the founding fathers and teeming members of the party with a “grateful heart, open arms and a pledge to open and deeper attention to the concerns of this one, big family”.

Ambode assured that a return of the party’s ticket to him would guarantee the stability of the State’s growing economy; ensure the continuation of the growth and development it has witnessed over time and ensure that the opposition does not take root in the State.

He congratulated co-contestants for the courage and commitment to the party and urged party faithful to come out en masse and vote peacefully in all the 20 Local Governments and 245 wards where the election will take place.

The main contenders with Governor Ambode are two former Commissioners: Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Babafemi Hamzat.

The former Commissioner for Establishment and Training and current DG of the Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC) is believed to have the backing of Asiwaju Tinubu, the grass root political mobilizer – the Mandate Movement. Dr. Hamzat is on the other hand being supported by the Justice Forum and the State parallel APC.