Dele Alake, who is the Director of Media and Communications of Bola Tinubu Campaign Organization, has asserted that it was members of the Lagos state APC that denied former governor of Lagos state, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, the opportunity to get nominated by the party in 2018 in order to seek re-election in 2019 and not the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned Alake, who said this during a Twitter Space hosted by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Media Centre on Sunday, added that a gubernatorial primary election was held which produced Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu as winner.
Alake, who served as Commissioner for Information and Strategy under Tinubu, said the former Lagos state governor did not deny Ambode the opportunity to seek re-election.
‘In a political competition, there must be supporters here and there. Yes, Fashola’s successor (Ambode) came into office, he was supported by Asiwaju as Asiwaju supported Fashola. But let me use this opportunity to clear one point, a misconception that Ambode wasn’t given a second term. It is not true.
The governorship mandate is not for Asiwaju to give or take. It is for the people of Lagos state to give or to take or withdraw. Ambode was in office, for whatever reasons of course, he did commit gaps and faux pas but he also went through election. Maybe people have forgotten or they have selective amnesia, Ambode went through the political process and lost.
Asiwaju did not take the nomination from him. He contested the primary election with Babajide Sanwo-Olu and lost. The primary was conducted in the open all over the state and the media covered it and it was shown everywhere. Why do people always succumb to such partisanship occasioned by blind prejudices? Yes it was Asiwaju’s right to support any candidate or aspirant, it is a natural phenomenon’ he said.
Alake added that Sanwo-Olu got nominated the same way Ambode was nominated by the party in 2014.
‘The current Deputy Governor contested and I remember more than 12 others also did. Ambode emerged the winner. So will all the others that lost now accuse Asiwaju of not giving them the party nomination?
Now fast forward to 2018, it was a direct primary that was done in all the wards and communities, designated centres and the man lost and Sanwo-Olu won. So, will it be Asiwaju’s fault that he supported Sanwo-Olu or whatever? That’s the game of politics. So, Ambode went through the political process. He was not denied. If he had been denied the opportunity to take part in the process, we could have said, ‘okay, he was denied’ he added- Team@orientactualmags.com
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