By Uche Mbah
Indications are that the governor of Lagos state, Akinwumi Ambode, may earn a ministerial slot in the new dispensation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency. In the alternative, if some clandestine moves by some alleged groups to drag the Lagos governor elect, Jide Sanwolu, to court seeking to halt his swearing in based on alleged health grounds is successful, he may end up a default governor-again. He could not win the nomination for re election because the the Godfather, Bola Tinubu, refused to endorse him
Recently, the governor commissioned many projects in Lagos-both completed and uncompleted-which he invited President Muhammadu Buhari to come and cut the tapes. But surprisingly, the strong man of Yoruba Politics, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was conspicuously absent from the cutting of tapes. Other All progressives congress south West Governors were on hand to lend support. But Tinubu and Rauf Aregbesola, immediate past governor of Osun state who is his Man Friday, stayed away from the commissioning. Also surprisingly absent was Adams Oshiomhole, the Party Chairman.
During the mornings after, Tinubu has been at pain to explain away his absence. But there were indications that he was piqued that Ambode refused to heed his “order” not to commission the projects, but to let Jide Sanwolu, his successor commission it. This, this magazine gathered, infuriated Ambode who went ahead to invite Buhari to commission the projects.
With this rebellion, he has allegedly played into the hands of the so called presidential cabal, who are said not to be comfortable with the alleged 2023 Presidential schemes of Tinubu, and are already sending signals of their opposition to that bid. Only recently, the Mietta Allah, and Umbrella Body of Cattle rearers that has prominent Northern Emirs as their patron and President Buhari as Grand Patron, has openly said that the presidency remains in the North in 2023, thereby indicating where the wind is blowing.
Analysts believe that Ambode defied Tinubu with the encouragement of Northern Power brokers with a possible promise of Ministerial Appointments. Secondly, there have been unconfirmed reports of an as yet unknown group intent on dragging the governor elect to court, seeking the halting of his inauguration on health grounds, based on the allegations by Ambode during the campaign period that he-Sanyolu-was undergoing drug rehabilitation at a well known Psychiatric hospital in Lagos, and that he was once indicted in US on money laundering and fake currency issues. Although the possible success of such wild goose chase has been described as “Pissing in the wind” by an analyst, if by a slim margin of chance they are able to go far in the case believed to be backed by Tinubu’s detractors who are bent on smashing his iron grip on lagos, it could bring in Ambode back. It is believed that the aim may have been to disqualify Sanwolu as a candidate of the APC and award the victory to the next person in the election nomination bid, which is Ambode. By their calculations, this will give Ambode second term through the back door.
The Supreme court ruling that brought Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport and former governor of Rivers state to power indicates that it is the party that went for elections, not individuals.
Whichever way it goes, Ambode may have become the latest pawn in the hands of APC political gladiators in a bizare chess game that leaves a lingering memory of Game Of Thrones, as he joins those empowered by the ruling Oligarchs to divide the political power blocks of Tinubu. Others are Minister of Power Tunde Fashola and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state. It is also accounts for the groundswell of opposition to Tinubu’s Candidates at the Federal Legislative chambers, which in recent times has caused a war of words between Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House Yakubu Dogara on the one Hand, and Tinubu on the other. All are because of Tinubu’s alleged 2023 Presidential ambition.
