Finally,the storm is over for Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in his quest to get the All Progressives Congress ticket for the governorship race in the 2019 general elections as the party’s national leader and major factor in the politics of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is reported to have finally endorsed his second term bid.
A usually impeccable source said Tinubu endorsed Ambode after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday in Abuja.
The President, it was gathered, requested to meet Tinubu after party elders informed him that the Godfather of Lagos politics had decided to throw his gargantuan weight behind Jide Sanwo-Olu in the build up to the Lagos APC direct gubernatorial primary slated for September 25.
A message early on Thursday morning also hinted at the new development: “Ambode 2nd term has been confirmed by the former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu after so much pressures and persuasion from President Buhari and the Vice President Osinbajo.”
Efforts to reach the Chief of Staff to Asiwaju, Mr. Tunde Rahman through phone calls and sms to confirm the story proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
A source at the Presidential Villa who was also contacted did not pick his call.
It was gathered that the new alignment might have left Sanwo-Olu’s quest to govern Lagos State in limbo.
An arrangement for Sanwo-Olu to have a mega rally at the LTV Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Lagos to formally declare his intention to run for the highest office in Lagos State after submitting his nomination form in Abuja, suffered a major setback. It was gathered that Tinubu did not give the final go ahead and the local government chairmen who were reported to have been summoned to attend the event refused to go ahead with the plan, possibly because of the new development.