Lagos: Tinubu, Obasa Meet To Plot Ambode’s Fall

By Bayo Bernard

Former Lagos state governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not recovered from the shock of last APC governorship campaign rally in Lagos, where one of his trusted thugs and Treasurer of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka Oluomo was stabbed and sustained serious injuries by rival members of the union.

The fracas occurred at the Skypower  Ground, Ikeja on January 7.

The APC National Leader, the magazine was told blamed Governor Akinwumi Ambode for that incident.

His anger against the governor, one time political ally reverberated on Monday in the state house of Assembly where the lawmakers muted the impeachment of the governor from office.

Since the lawmakers broached the plan yesterday, series of meetings have been held between ex-Governor Tinubu and Speaker Obasa on one hand, while Tinubu also met with other APC leaders at his Ikoyi home, sources told the magazine.

Also, the embattled Governor Ambode, the magazine learned have also met with his trusted aides on how to respond to the threat of impeachment by the state lawmakers.

During Monday plenary, the lawmakers raised several allegations against the governor among which is that he usurped the assembly power of appropriation.

The governor has refused to present the 2019 Budget proposal to the assembly in contravention of the constitution deadline of December 31, the lawmakers alleged.

The Speaker of the house, Mudasiru Obasa said of the allegation against the governor “He should explain to us why a budget that has not been laid was already being implemented by the government.”

They have given the governor and “ the commissioner of finance, Akinyemi Ashade, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Adeniji Kazeem and Commissioner For Budget and Economic Planning, Olusegun Banjo” seven days to appear before the house.

In case the governor failed to give cogent explanation for his action Speaker Obasa said yesterday “those that want the governor to be impeached should start collating signatures now for the exercise.”

This is not the first attempt to impeach the governor. The lawmakers had first attempted to do this late last year after a dissgreement between the governor and his godfather, Tinubu after the party failed to return Anbode as its governorship candidate.

The party had chosen Babajide Sanwoolu as its flag bearer in his place. But embattled Governor Ambode insists that his misfortune has the imprimatur of the APC Leader.

He has vouched secretly to work against the interest of the party.

This has become more so in the light of the fracas at the APC state rally where the NURTW chieftain was almost killed by another faction of the restive union.

Oluomo who’s now battling for his life at an undisclosed hospital is a trusted ally of former Governor Tinubu.

The NURTW chieftain and others are believed to be among those the APC had used in the past for ballot box snatching and other election practice during elections in the state.

‘As we speak, one APC leader told the magazine earlier today” options are being weighed on how to move him abroad for further treatment.

“His condition” another NURTW source said “remained unstable as we speak and there doubts in the party whether things will ever remain the same again for him.”

Tinubu and the ruling APC in the state cannot bear the pains that one of their trusted boys has been taken out of the picture ahead the general election starting next month.

Aside Ambode his erstwhile political son, Tinubu has also marked out the Lagos state Commissioner of police, Imohinmi Edgar for blame over the incident.

The consensus, therefore among APC big hats in the state is that the police commissioner did not provide enough cover for the NURTW thug when he was attacked by rival thugs.

Governor Ambode is very close to Imohinmi having attended the same university and he’s believed to have facilitated his deployment to the state as Commissioner of Police.

The duo of Ambode and Imohinmi, Tinubu and associates believed, had plotted to kill Oluomo to frustrate the party and reduce its chances in the governorship election, as pay back for denying the governor a second term ticket.

there are also allegations that Governor Ambode is working for the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP.

Ambode has however denied both allegations.

For his sins, sources in APC told the magazine, Commissioner Imohinmi was earlier this month removed from his position, but was later reinstated by the acting Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu.

It was further learned that underground moves are afoot to redeploy Imohimni from the state ahead the election as APC stalwarts weigh option on how to brighten the party’s chances.

“We will never allow Governor Ambode to destroy our chances of installing Sanwo-Olu. All cards are on the table including removing him from office to achieve this aim,” a close associate of the Lion of Bourdillon, as Tinubu is widely called told the magazine today.