There are strong signals that efforts of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) in Lagos State to pacify aggrieved members ahead of 2019 general
elections are not yielding the desired result.
The Guardian learned that most of the aggrieved members are still upset, despite efforts to reconcile them.
Although
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has officially endorsed the chosen
gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Babatunde Sanwo-Olu and his running mate,
Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, asserting that the duo would move the state to
greater heights, APC still has a lot of homework to do to achieve a
united house in the state.
For instance, at a recent meeting to
reconcile members, held at Lagos House, Marina, with the governor as a
member of the National Peace and Reconciliation Committee, there were
still signs of disagreement among members.
Addressing reporters
at the meeting, Ambode said there was no crisis in the state, and that
there was no need for reconciliation. But a source privy to the
closed-door meeting with party members, hinted that contrary to what the
governor said some party members in the state were still aggrieved.
He
explained that a member actually tried to express his grievances, but
was quickly shouted down on grounds that the governor who was denied a
second term had been pacified.
Also, at a meeting organised for
Ambode’s loyalists and held at the governor’s campaign office in Ikeja
(now Sanwo-Olu’s), all did not seem well.
The meeting was
organised for Sanwo-Olu to meet Ambode’s loyalists, but many of them
were still angry over the manner their boss was treated, especially when
Sanwo-Olu didn’t show up for the meeting.
“We are not happy with
this arrangement at all,” one of Ambode’s loyalists fumed. “Ambode
would never do this to us. We have been here since morning only for him
to call that he was not coming when it was already late. He shouldn’t
worry; his deputy will deal with him very well.”
When asked what he meant by that, he retorted, “The deputy is smarter and will not condone any nonsense from him.”
Also, at the state secretariat, Alausa, The Guardian noticed that a number of Sanwo-Olu’s campaign banners had been destroyed.
This is an area that is predominantly APC, where opposition members ought to find it difficult to carry out such an act.
Furthermore,
it was reported that “25, 000” APC party members defected to Accord
Party (AP) last week, even as the party’s governorship candidate, Joseph
Ola Beckly, stepped down for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
candidate, Jimi Agbaje.
The general impression was that all is
still not well in the house of APC in Lagos State, although the party is
strongly denying it.
Stakeholders’ Reaction
The state APC
factional chairman, Mr. Fouad Oki said: “I don’t know anything about the
reconciliation, I am just hearing about it for the first time. I don’t
know what manner of reconciliation they are undertaking, if they refused
to be holistic about it. There were some issues on ground before the
primary elections, and until they do something about them, I don’t know
what reconciliatory efforts are being put in place. Some people who were
cheated felt deeply aggrieved even before the primaries. There are two
factions of APC in Lagos, whether anyone likes it or not. So, how will
you reconcile, if you don’t start from there? Trying to reconcile those
that were aggrieved from the fallout of the primaries alone cannot
work.”
Reacting to Governor Ambode’s statement that there were no
more aggrieved members in the state, Oki declared: “If the governor
said there was no need to meet in Lagos, it is unfortunate but I don’t
believe so. I’m sure he wouldn’t have said that. Maybe what he meant was
that they were making efforts to reconcile everybody, because he
(Ambode) is also aggrieved. It was not correct for him to say he was no
longer aggrieved. If in wanting to ensure that the party moves forward,
he came out to say he is no more aggrieved, like he did at the
stakeholders’ meeting, fine. Why are they deceiving themselves?”
Asked if he would support Sanwo-Olu and his group, Oki said he and his team would support all candidates fielded by the party.
He
said: “I remain an APC member. I just returned from Iseyin for party
activities. My faction is not fielding anyone, so whoever becomes the
party candidate is our candidate. There are 40 candidates for the
state’s House of Assembly, 24 at the federal constituencies, three at
senatorial levels, one gubernatorial candidate and his deputy, one
presidential candidate and his vice. So, as far as we are concerned,
whoever emerges the party’s candidate is our candidate. We are
supporting all the party candidates to enable them to emerge winners in
the 2019 elections.”
An APC chieftain, Olawale Oshun told our
correspondent that it would be wise for aggrieved members to shield
their grievances and support the ruling party, as it would be risky to
allow the opponent win.
He expressed optimism that the party would overcome its challenges and get all aggrieved members working for it ahead of 2019.
“It
has always been a united family in Lagos APC, and nobody would deny
that there had been difficulties in the party lately,” he explained.
“But certainly in all political processes where you have a contest,
there will be some difficulties. The party’s strength in Lagos State
lies in dialoguing and smoothening rough edges. It has always been able
to unite different factions and work for the party’s progress.
“Normally,
during electoral processes, some people would be dissatisfied over the
outcome, but what is important is that at the end of the day, every good
party member realises that the party’s strength and performance depend
on unity. It is better to be part of a cohesive unit and face the
election together than be dispirited and allow people who don’t mean
well to take over he stage.
“It is best for us to work together
and defeat our opponents. It will be stupid for any member to give room
for despondency and allow the opponent have the upper hand. That is why
the reconciliation process is needed at this period.”
Budget Delay
For the first time in five years, the 2019 budget would be presented the same year, making it the most delayed in recent years.
Ambode’s
predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola presented the 2015 budget of
N489.69bn on November 25, 2014. Ambode presented his first full circle
budget of N666bn for 2016 on December 17, 2015.
The presentation
improved significantly the following year, as the 2017 budget of N813bn
was tabled before the House of Assembly on November 29, 2016, while that
of 2018, N1.04 trillion was presented on December 11, 2017.
Observers
noted that the delay might be a reflection of struggling governance
since the primaries. They said the vibrancy associated with the state
has continued to wane since then.
Some sources also
attributed the delay to the fallout of the primaries. In their views,
although work on the 2019 budget had begun since June with consultations
with relevant stakeholders and Ministries Departments and Agencies
(MDAs), it ran into some hitches during the build-up to the primaries.
The
dust generated by the primaries was said to have slowed down the
budgeting processes, owing to high-level mistrust in government, as some
commissioners and cabinet members shirked their responsibilities.
The
height of the politicking was the resignation from office, last month,
of Ambode’s commissioner for energy and mineral resources, Mr. Wale
Oluwo.
Oluwo, who cited the fallout of the party primaries and
the use of a powerful group in the party to intimidate and harass
government, said he was joining the opposition Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) to fight his former party (APC).
However, Akinyemi Ashade,
the commissioner for finance, said work on the 2019 budget was being
concluded, and would soon be tabled for deliberations and approval by
the State Executive Council.
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