By Bolaji Buhari
Lagos, Sept.30,2018
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos on Sunday said his rival for the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship ticket, Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu , was not fit to govern the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that Ambode made the claim in Ikeja while addressing newsmen in his office.
The governor was responding to the endorsement of Sanwo-Olu by the party leadership on Saturday.
The direct primary to choose between the governor and Sanwo-Olu, a former Commissioner for Training and Establishment is scheduled for Monday.
Ambode said the party leadership was misled into endorsing Sanwo-Olu as he does not have the capacity to lead the state.
He claimed the former commissioner had past records of crime and had at some time undergone rehabilitation at one of the state’s hospitals.
The governor urged the party to go for a better choice to ensure continuity which would keep the state beyond the reach of opposition.
“Now, the truth is this, the aspirant being put up to compete against us is not fit and proper.
“This is the truth. Party leaders and party members have been misled to understand that he is a better candidate than me.
“I have done everything in the last three years and a half to serve the people selflessly.
“This particular aspirant has been arrested for spending fake American dollars in a night club and was detained for months.
“He also knows he does not have the competence for what he is being propelled to do. The records are there in Gbagada General Hospital in Lagos.
“This is somebody that has gone for rehabilitation before. We do not want to go so far.
“We want our leadership to have a rethink because the truth is before us.
“I will not stand here on this mandate and allow our great party to fritter away that opportunity and put somebody that opposition will easily kick out because of credibility question’’, Ambode said.
The governor also said he (Ambode) had endured campaigns of calumny from the opposing camp in the past few weeks.
Ambode further said that he was not deterred by the attacks, adding that he would pursue his ambition to a triumphant end.
The governor said he was optimistic of victory at the primary as he had tremendous support from party men and residents.
“What we want is to allow a very clean board to allow everyone to participate.
“We believe just as the leaders have decided that it is in the greater interest of our party to allow everyone to participate in the process to show their strength.
“I believe strongly that it is in the interest of the country that we must allow transparency for which APC is known. And this is what I stand for”, he said.
He expressed the regret that he had not been issued the party membership card, saying he only had the temporary slip.
Ambode appealed to the party leadership to allow those with temporary slips vote for transparency.
He said he had information that some political thugs were being recruited in the state to undermine the primary election.
Ambode urged security agencies to take proactive steps against any trouble, warning that anybody caught would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, in a statement issued in Lagos, said he was disappointed by what he called attacks on him by Gov. Ambode earlier in the day.
He was reacting to a press conference addressed by Ambode where he claimed he (Sanwo-Olu) was not fit to govern the state.
Ambode had claimed that his rival for the party primary on Monday had criminal records and had been rehabilitated for an unnamed issue.
He said the party’s elders had been misled into endorsing Sanwo-Olu to lead the state as he did not have what was required for the job.
Sanwo-Olu, in reply, said he had expected the campaigns ahead of the primary to be about issues and not attacks on personalities.
The aspirant said he held the office of the governor in high esteem and would not do anything to undermine it or launch attacks on the holder of the office.
The aspirant, however, said the claims by Ambode that he was rehabilitated in a hospital and that he was arrested for possessing fake dollars in America were false.
He said the governor should rather have explained why he has failed residents instead of attacking, saying his aspiration to seek the number one seat was out of passion to serve.
“Let it be heard by all that I hold the people of Lagos state with great respect and affection
“Their welfare is my utmost concern and it is what drives my pursuit for the governorship nomination of the APC.
“As such, I also hold the office of governor of our state in high esteem.
“I shall never consciously do anything that will undermine the dignity of the office nor will I engage in personal attacks against the holder of that office.
” My pursuit of office will continue to be based upon issues that matter to Lagosians and not on attacks against someone’s character, even when he attacks mine.
“For anyone to engage in unwarranted character attacks against me, reveals more about that person’s character than it says about mine.
“Thus, I felt sad for Lagos as I watched the Press Conference by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
“Many things he said were beneath the dignity of our people and the exalted office he now holds,” he said.
The aspirant said perhaps the tension and anxiety of the moment got the better of the Governor.
“If given a chance at cooler reflection of what he said, I am sure he would regret his descent into such low conduct.
” In this vein, I forgive him and hope he regains his balance and proper comportment no matter the outcome of tomorrow’s contest.
“After all, we are both here to improve Lagos, not to wrestle in its streets,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said that he must, however, clear up some inaccuracies in the Governor’s statement.
“His allegation that I was arrested for spending fake dollars at a night club in the United States was untrue.
“In fact, the governor knows I travelled to the United States just last month.
“I would not have been allowed to travel or even get a visa if I had been involved in what the Governor falsely alleged.
“That the Governor claimed that I underwent some unidentified type of “rehabilitation” at the Gbagada General Hospital was also shameless and untrue.
” Promulgation of salacious rumor should not be part of the job description of a governor.
“It is not the stuff of high office,” he said
According to him, people should question whether it is ethically right for the Governor to turn what should be confidential medical information about a citizen into a weapon of political warfare.
“But for avoidance of doubt, let it be stated that I never received any treatment whatsoever at the Gbagada General Hospital.
“Today, instead of making a convincing defense of his performance, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode sought to sow fear into the hearts of Lagosians.
“But Lagosians are intelligent and brave people. They can see through the smoke and the fog.
“I am here not to tear my opponent down but to help build Lagos up.
” With me, you will hear about progress on education, health, sanitation, proper tax levels, economic development, infrastructure, jobs, public services and other things that enhance the lives of people,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He described himself as a serious person, and the primary a serious matter.
“I have not the time or inclination to attack character when there are so many real issues to address.
“We will continue to focus on the issues that matter in the lives of the people of Lagos.
“Lagosians want an answer to the sanitation crisis and loss of jobs caused by Mr. Ambode’s Visionscape misadventure.
“Our people will want to know why Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has not been able to build a single General Hospital in the State when his immediate predecessor Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) built 11 General Hospitals.
” Lagosians are waiting to hear what our solutions are. They want to know why hundreds of competent civil servants got summarily dismissed and how this has undermined public services.
“As a candidate for the party’s nomination and hopefully as your next governor, my approach will not be to sling insults but to propose solutions to the problems of the day,” he said.
