By Dansu Peter
The Mandate Group, a political association of Lagos politician loyal to the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said it would be suicidal should Tinubu succumb to pressure to endorse the embattled Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
Tinubu is believed to have withdrawn support for Ambode’s re-election in favour of a former Commissioner of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The party leader, however, has been under intense pressure to have a change of heart.
According to the Guardian, a member of the party in Lagos, however, insisted there is no going back on Sanwo-Olu’s ambition, unless Tinubu plans to self-destruct.
“It is political suicide for Tinubu to allow Ambode to go for a second term.
This is because of the way the governor conducted himself and sidelined party members since he emerged,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu is going ahead to attend the screening scheduled to hold in Abuja today, he said.
As at the time of filing this report, members of the Mandate Group maintained that Ambode’s exit is a done deal, stressing that under a democratic setting, a president lacks the powers to dictate who becomes governor in any state.
Meanwhile, the crisis over who becomes the next governor of Lagos State could drive a wedge between the presidency and some state governors on the one hand and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his loyalists on the other.
The governors were said to have urged the presidency to prevail on Tinubu not to ridicule Ambode, whom they fondly refer to as ‘Governor General’.
A cabal in Aso Rock, consisting mainly of northern elements, is also backing the same agenda.
On Tuesday, during a rally for Gboyega Oyetola (APC’s Osun State governorship aspirant in Saturday’s election), Buhari, some governors and party leaders pleaded with Tinubu and his close ally, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, to give Ambode a second chance.
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