Lagos 2019: APC Speaks On Gang-up Against Ambode

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos State, Tunde Balogun, has stated that there was no gang-up against Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

He also said the other aspirants challenging Ambode for the governorship ticket of the party were all qualified.

The APC Chairman said there was no crisis in the state chapter of the party, adding that it was normal in a democratic setting to have more than one aspirant for a particular position.

Balogun also claimed that there was no disagreement between Governor Ambode and national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Fielding questions from Punch, Balogun insisted that there was nothing like a gang-up against Ambode, adding that groups coming out to endorse a particular aspirant does not amount to gang up against the other aspirants.

According to him, “I can’t see any storm anywhere. It is not unusual in a truly democratic setting to have three or more aspirants that would be contesting a particular office.

“The fact that we have two other aspirants who want to be governor, apart from the sitting governor (Akinwunmi Ambode), who is seeking reelection, is normal.

“The two other candidates (Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Obafemi Hamzat) are equally loyal and committed members of the party and they have the constitutional right to contest any elective office in the country.

“I don’t really see anything abnormal in what is happening in Lagos right now.

“It will be wrong of the party to prevent others from aspiring to any position of their choice.

“What is happening right now is democracy in action. It is the right of anybody, without anybody stopping them or giving them any inhibition, to come out and exercise their rights.

“Stopping others because the incumbent wants to go for a second term will amount to being dictatorial and we are progressives.

“There is nothing like a gang-up anywhere. The fact that some groups are coming out to endorse a particular candidate does not amount to a gang-up. It simply shows that we are truly democratic.

“The constitution of our party provides for anybody wishing to aspire to any position of his or her choice without any inhibition.

“So, the fact that you see some people coming together, even as elected officials, to endorse a particular candidate, shows that democracy is in action.