Ambode officially endorses Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat ticket

GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, yesterday, officially endorsed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his running mate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, saying that the duo were prepared for the campaign and ready to take on the task of moving the state to greater heights.

Ambode also appealed to APC members aggrieved over the primaries, to follow his example, and accept the party’s supremacy. This came as National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu commended the courage of Governor Ambode and others for accepting the outcome of the primaries of the party, saying their act of sportsmanship deserved to be appreciated.

Ambode at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the state secretariat of the party on Acme Road in Ogba raised the hands of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat before scores of party leaders and faithful and wished them well in the March 2, 2019 election.

APC leaders at the meeting include the Deputy Governor, Idiat Adebule; Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; State APC Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun; GAC members led by Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Chief Lanre Razak, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Chief Kemi Nelson, Cardinal James Odumbaku, former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Jokotola Pelumi, among others.

Ambode said: “As we look forward to February 16, 2019, we know it is the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket that Lagos State will vote for. As we proceed two weeks after on March 2, we also declare that it is the Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat ticket that will take over from me by the special grace of God.

“I pray for them and bless them that they will take over from me successfully in good health and in good spirit. The first thing I want to say is to appeal to all our party members who, in one way or the other, have been wronged or aggrieved that they should find a place in their heart to let it go just be the same way that I have accepted the greatness of the party.

Calls for reconciliation

“I want to further appeal to all our leaders and our party leaders also that when there is a platform for reconciliation, we should proceed also to continue to reconcile and when there is a platform for compensation, we should also make those promissory notes so that all our aspirants who are not candidates must be ready to sacrifice for our party.

“This is very important so that we can move this campaign forward because it is only when we win that we can compensate, it is only when we win that we can reconcile. Let us have that collective decision to move APC forward.

Tinubu commends gov for act of sportsmanship

Also speaking, National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Tinubu, commended Ambode’s courage for accepting the outcome of the primaries of the party, saying their act of sportsmanship deserved to be appreciated.

Tinubu said: “I want to say thank you to all of you and God bless you. I thank all of you for respecting the party, particularly the present Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and his deputy, Idiat Adebule. May God continue to bless you and guide you and you will live long with everlasting progress.

“Thank you to all our leaders, the government Advisory Council, GAC, of Lagos State and the membership of the party who embarked on reconciliation efforts to appeal to all our members who are initially aggrieved.”

Ours will be a govt of continuity — Sanwo-Olu

On his part, Mr. Sanwo-Olu, who specifically described the event as “historic”, assured that his administration would be a “government of continuity, progress that started since 1999 from Asiwaju. When our opponents are talking of freedom, you ask, from which bondage. We are not the party that corrupted the country.”

He said: “We have come out of the recession and we are on our way to full economic recovery. The votes in Lagos will be a resounding one for APC from the presidential to governorship least come February, March 2019 general elections.”