Why opposition parties endorsed Sanwo-Olu — CPP

Why opposition parties endorsed Sanwo-Olu — CPP

By Dapo Akinrefon & Akinroye Abdulazeez
LAGOS—THE  Coalition of Progressives Political Parties, CPPP, has said that there is no line of demarcation between it and the Lagos State All progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and hence its endorsement of his 2019 aspiration.

Sanwo-Olu

This came as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, yesterday, described the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Sanwo-Olu as a bad market that cannot appeal to Lagosians even if he “buys political parties beyond the registered ones in the country.”

Leader of the coalition, Otunba Aderemi Fatukasi, said: “The next 50 years of the state must cut a path to create a framework for leaders that are not only visionary, but also inspirational with a passion for development.”

Another chieftain of the coalition, Akinola Obadia, said: “This is historic. It has never happened before in Lagos State. forty five of 58 opposition parties in the state are supporting the APC candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The coast is clear for him to win next year’s election.”

Speaking at the endorsement ceremony, Sanwo-Olu, who was accompanied by his running mate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat promised to appoint a Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to serve as a link between his government and the parties, if elected as governor.

Sanwo-Olu no match for us, says Lagos PDP

Reacting to the endorsement, the Lagos PDP said the hurried and controversial emergence of the APC candidate is “an indelible political albatross.”

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani said: “Indeed the emergence is tainted with desperation to have someone as governor who will rather fund the APC leaders. Lagosians will not forget that this is the Lagos APC reason for dropping Governor Akinwumi Ambode. To us, the consequence of the Sanwo-Olu imposition is the terminal acrimony, defections and anti party in the Lagos APC, which we shall duly capitalise on to end the reign of APC in Lagos State.”

The PDP further described Sanwoolu as “an emergency candidate that is unprepared for the job compared to the PDP candidate whose blueprint to free Lagos has been since 2006; Hence, laughable that some parties have adopted an unprepared candidate. It is not true that 40 political parties have adopted Sanwo-Olu. The claim is propagandists and mere prodigal as indeed it is the APC candidate who is giving out huge sums of monies to get parties adopt him. Laughable is that he his paying factional leaders of the political parties.

“We are not shocked because we know Sanwo-Olu and his nominator are desperate to hold on to Lagos state. Lagosians are, thus, alerted that should Sanwo-Olu be mistakenly elected as governor, his urge will be to recuperate the election expenses.

“At the appropriate time, we shall expose Sanwo-Olu as truly not fit and proper to be elected governor of Lagos State.”