Akinwunmi Ambode, a former governor of Lagos State, has completed plans to determine who will be the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate to succeed incumbent governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the state's 2023 election through his campaign group, Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation (AMCO).
Apart from the governorship position, Ambode and his supporters have stated that they are ready to select APC candidates to represent Lagos in the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as members to serve in the State's House of Assembly following next year's election.
Sanwo-endorsement Olu's by the Governor's Advisory Council (GAC) and others did not indicate APC members' stance because the GAC was not recognized by the party at the national level, according to the former governor group, whose goal is to challenge the current structure in Lagos and take over the mantle of leadership.
They went on to say that the GAC's position was not representative of all APC members, and that the GAC was a non-governmental organization (NGO) that was not recognized under the party's constitution.
Wale Oluwo, the chairman of AMCO and a former Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, revealed their plans, emphasizing that the 2022 primaries will be different from the ones held in 2018, which resulted in Ambode's expulsion from office.Oluwo claimed Ambode is sincerely interested in what happens in Lagos and has expressed willingness to abide by his beliefs during a radio program hosted by Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, on a Lagos-based radio station.
Sanwo-endorsement Olu's by the Governor's Advisory Council (GAC) and others, according to the former governor group, is intended to challenge the current system in Lagos and take over the mantle of leadership.“Performance for performance, the administration of Sanwo-Olu cannot be compared to what Ambode achieved. You have to start with security and infrastructure, we can show a lot of things now. But for this government, well this is not the time to start tearing ourselves apart,”
he said.
While disclosing that he had returned to APC after a change in leadership of its National Working Committee (NWC) and the disposition of the national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, to ideals of internal democracy, Oluwo hinted the major plan was to return power to members as against some individuals determining activities within APC.
According to him, what we have in Lagos APC is that a particular group has monopolized everything without considering others. I am happy to be back and Governor Ambode is interested in what would happen in Lagos during 2023 general election. And that interest aligns with the interest of the people.
“The way that the GAC sponsored its candidate is the same way that we will do that for our own candidate too. And members of the party will have the option of determining which of the candidates, either AMCO or GAC, they will like to vote for. We acknowledge that Sanwo-Olu has picked his nomination form, the AMCO candidate will also do his own. And the primary will happen.
“For AMCO, we are participating at all levels of the election. From Governorship to the House of Assembly. We will field candidates for all positions. Our candidate will not be Akinwunmi Ambode. That is not where we are going. We will present our own aspirant and he would challenge the governor for the seat in Lagos.
“The process of presenting our own candidate is almost concluded and I can assure you that by early next week, that candidate will be announced. The GAC is only promoting their own interest by announcing Sanwo-Olu’s as their candidate”.
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