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Ambode Fights Back, Moves to Neutralise Mandate Group

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  • Ambode Fights Back, Moves to Neutralise Mandate Group

The political intrigues shaping the governorship race in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State intensified yesterday as Governor Akinwunmi Ambode indicated that he would not go down without a fight, reaching out to the presidency in Abuja to intervene on his side as he battles the Mandate Group, the political machine of his godfather, Senator Bola Tinubu.

Assured of the support of Tinubu, who is also the party’s national leader, to run for a second term, Ambode had flown to Abuja on Monday morning to obtain the governorship nomination forms.

But by the evening of the same day, the tide had changed with two of his political siblings, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, found to have also obtained the nomination forms by proxy.

While Sanwo-Olu has the backing of the Mandate Group, the political machine that brought Ambode to power, Hamzat rides on the back of the Justice Group, which has the former governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, as its leading light.

The governor, who was said to have been perplexed by the development because he claimed he obtained the nomination forms after due consultation with the party’s national leader on Sunday, had his doubts, about the position of Tinubu, cleared when by yesterday afternoon, the chairmen of the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) had appended their signatures to the nomination form of Sanwo-Olu.

With Sanwo-Olu as the clear choice even without the voice of Tinubu being heard, Ambode began his survival battle yesterday, reaching out to the presidential villa for help.

Multiple sources said although Ambode was not minded to look Tinubu in the face, he was being prodded by some of his loyalists and friends who believed that having done his best to take care of the political and economic interests of his godfather, he had not been treated fairly, and should consequently fight back.

“Ambode says he is not a politician and did not ask to be a governor. He feels, therefore, that if he is no longer wanted by the powers that be, he should simply ease out in peace,” said a source close to him.

“Bu there are some of us who feel that loyalty should beget loyalty, and that if Tinubu has become disloyal to Ambode, the governor should not go down without a fight, giving that he has goodwill not only among the people of Lagos State, but also with the seat of power in Abuja,” he added.

The embattled governor appeared to be listening to his close confidants who asked him to respond to the challenge to his return bid.

His strategy, said a reliable source close to the unfolding power game, is a mixture of diplomacy and war. First he would seek to persuade Tinubu to change his mind and support him. If that fails, he would fight, believing that he has enormous capacity to do maximum damage to the political fortunes of the APC in the state.

Consequently, checks revealed that Ambode had contacted the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, to intervene, the earlier involvement of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo having failed.

On the home front, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, is expected to lead a delegation of the Council of Traditional Rulers in the state to Tinubu’s Bourdillon residence today to plead the case of Ambode.

It was gathered last night that Akiolu is expected to point out to Tinubu the dangers in allowing the rift to fester. The traditional ruler is believed to be worried that the widening of the crack between the governor and his godfather could do incalculable damage to the fortunes of the APC in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Ambode is, however, said to have a battle plan should the efforts to persuade Tinubu fail. The battle line, according to competent sources, would be drawn today if Tinubu fails to sign Ambode’s nomination form.

“The governor would be presenting his nomination form to Tinubu for endorsement tomorrow (today). If he refuses to sign, it would be a clear signal that he no longer supports Ambode. At that point, he would have to activate his battle plan,” a source said.

The governor is said to have placed all his commissioners and political appointees on notice that should peace fail, they would be required to rise to the occasion and mobilise their constituencies for delivery at the primary scheduled for later in the month.

He is also said to have opened communications with Hamzat and his Justice Group, Hamzat too is said to be unhappy that Tinubu had dumped him for Sanwo-Olu. He is said to be ready to ally with Ambode in the event of a showdown with the man popularly called Lion of Bourdillon.

Ambode is also hopeful of support from outside as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is said to be waiting in the wings to reap from the fall out of the impending fight in the APC.

Otedola Considers Race

Meanwhile, billionaire businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola, is said to be considering joining the governorship fray should his kinsman be denied a second term in the APC.

Femi, a PDP stalwart, is also from the Epe Division homestead of Ambode. Both are said to be working on the modalities to ward off the offensive from Tinubu and his Mandate Group.

There were indications yesterday, however, that Otedola had accepted an offer by the PDP to run in 2019.

Although Otedola could not be reached for confirmation due to vacation abroad, but a reliable source close to him said he was seriously considering contesting the 2019 election if given the opportunity.

Also, popular celebrity publisher, Dele Momodu, yesterday said PDP had offered Otedola the governorship ticket and that he had accepted it.

He shared the news on his Twitter handle, @DeleMomodu.

He tweeted: “Breaking news: Lagos 2019 promises to be interesting. PDP offers Femi Otedola governorship ticket. He’s accepted and personally confirmed to The Boss newspaper.”

On his Instagram page, Otedola shared a video of himself enjoying a ride in a miniature vehicle. He captioned the video: “Never too old to catch some fun …”

How Policy Alteration Pitted Tinubu against Ambode

Tinubu decided not to support the re-election bid of Lagos State Governor Ambode due to alteration of the state’s major policies the governor made after he assumed office.

This came as some APC chieftains including former APC Deputy Chairman, Cardinal James Odumbaku and former Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Kaoli Olusanya, allegedly directed Ambode to return his nomination form or face impeachment at a meeting held at Watercress Hotel, Ikeja Monday night.

At the meeting, all Chairmen of 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Area (LCDAs) signed the governorship nomination form of Tinubu’s anointed candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

A video clip showed some of the council chiefs signing Sanwo-Olu’s nomination under the supervision of some state party leaders led by Cardinal Odumbaku and encouraging the council chiefs to support Asiwaju’s anointed candidate.

As shown in the video, Odumbaku said there was no other political group in Lagos State again than the Mandate Movement, noting that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation had been fused into the Mandate Movement.

He said Sanwo-Olu “is Asiwaju’s annointed candidate for 2019. We gathered here on the instruction of our leader. We must honour by supporting his choice candidate for the 2019 governorship election in the state. The era of Ambode has gone. This is a new era. In 2019, Sanwo-Olu will be the one to occupy the State House.”

However, multiple sources revealed main reasons the APC national leader refused to endorse his political godson for re-election yesterday, ascribing it to Ambode’s decision to alter, modify and scrap some state’s policies initiated under the Tinubu administration between 1999 and 2007.

One of the sources mentioned the affected policies to include Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), which the Ambode administration scrapped and modified to serve the residents more effectively.

While KAI was replaced with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), the source said LAWMA gave way for Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), which he said, designed for effective management of the state’s residential wastes.

However, according to him, the CLI later created grievous waste management challenges in the state. Asiwaju see these legacies. When scrapped, Asiwaju believed Ambode just wanted to rubbish legacies. He was indeed displeased.

Apart from KAI and LAWMA, another source cited the case of Lagos Bus Reform Initiative, which the Ambode administration invested over N30 billion Paris Club refunds the state received from the federal government between 2016 and 2017.

Specifically, the source disclosed that Tinubu’s idea of public transportation “is completely different from the Bus Reform Initiative, which Ambode introduced in 2017. Asiwaju believes public transportation should be driven by the private sector.

“Ambode’s decision to invest such huge amount on the construction of bus terminals and procurement of about 6,000 air-conditioned high occupancy vehicles is at variance with Asiwaju’s position. Asiwaju never bought into this initiative.”

Besides policy alteration, an entirely different source said Asiwaju was displeased with his godson because he set up a political group of his own called Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation (AAMCO) with networks across all LGAs and LCDAs.

According to the source, all political groups in the state have been collapsed into Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation (BATCO). Asiwaju felt the creation of AAMCO was a violation of his directive. But the truth is Ambode created the group because he won the APC governorship ticket in December 2014.

Ambode had expressed interest to run for a second term as governor of the state on the platform of the APC.

The governor made the official declaration on Monday, September 10, in Alausa. Ambode recalled how he was called upon by Lagosians to come and serve the state four years ago and thanked them for their support.

He said: “In the last three and a half years, I have fulfilled my promises to you to make Lagos work for all. With your support, we have made Lagos a better place and changed the face of our State. I did not do it alone; we did it together, because you believed.

“Our state has remained steadily prosperous because of your positive outlook. I urge you to always stay positive in your personal and communal lives and continue to aspire to great things.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Senate Suspends Senator Abdul Ningi for 3 Months Over Budget Padding Allegations

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Abdul-Ahmed-Ningi

The Senate has announced the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi for three months following his allegations of budget padding to the tune of N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget.

Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central and chairs the Senate Committee on Population, had made the claims in a recent interview with the Hausa service of the BBC.

During a plenary session, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, raised a motion to address Ningi’s allegations, citing the urgent need to address what he termed as “false allegations.”

The transcript of Ningi’s interview was read on the Senate floor, prompting deliberation on the appropriate action to take.

Initially, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim proposed a 12-month suspension for Ningi, but Senator Chris Ekpeyong moved to reduce it to six months.

Eventually, Senator Garba Maidoki amended the motion further, suggesting a three-month suspension.

The amended motion was put to a voice vote, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision to suspend Ningi for three months.

Following the ruling, Ningi was escorted out of the Senate chamber by the Sergeants-at-arms.

The suspension comes amidst division within the Senate over Ningi’s claims, with some senators disowning his allegations and calling for a thorough investigation.

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Ekiti Governor Unveils Multi-Billion Naira Relief Programmes Amid Economic Crisis

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Biodun Oyebanji

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has announced a comprehensive relief package aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by the people of the state.

The relief programs encompass various sectors to cushion the impact of the economic downturn.

One of the key initiatives entails clearing salary arrears amounting to over N2.7 billion owed to both State and Local Government workers.

This move signifies the government’s commitment to addressing the financial burdens faced by its workforce.

Furthermore, Governor Oyebanji has approved a substantial increase of N600 million per month in the subvention of autonomous institutions, including the Judiciary and tertiary institutions.

This augmentation is intended to enable these institutions to implement wage awards in alignment with State and Local Government workers’ salaries.

In addition to addressing salary arrears, the relief programs extend to pensioners, with the approval of payments totaling N1.5 billion for two months’ pension arrears.

Moreover, an increase in the monthly gratuity payment to state pensioners and local government pensioners will provide additional financial support, totaling N200 million monthly.

The relief initiatives also encompass agricultural and small-scale business sectors.

The allocation of funds for food production and livestock transformation projects underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and economic sustainability at the grassroots level.

Governor Oyebanji emphasized that these relief programs are part of the state’s concerted efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic downturn and foster shared prosperity.

The comprehensive nature of the initiatives reflects a proactive approach towards addressing the challenges faced by Ekiti State residents.

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President Tinubu Orders Immediate Settlement of N342m Electricity Bill for Presidential Villa

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President Bola Tinubu has directed the prompt settlement of a N342 million outstanding electricity bill owed by the Presidential Villa to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

This move comes in response to the reconciliation of accounts between the State House Management and the AEDC.

The AEDC had earlier threatened to disconnect electricity services to the Presidential Villa and 86 Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) over a total outstanding debt of N47.20 billion as of December 2023.

Contrary to the initial claim by the AEDC that the State House owed N923 million in electricity bills, the Presidency clarified that the actual outstanding amount is N342.35 million.

This discrepancy underscores the importance of accurate accounting and reconciliation between entities.

In a statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency affirmed the commitment to settle the debt promptly.

Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila assured that the debt would be paid to the AEDC before the end of the week.

The directive from the Presidency extends beyond the State House, as Gbajabiamila urged other MDAs to reconcile their accounts with the AEDC and settle their outstanding electricity bills.

The AEDC, on its part, issued a 10-day notice to the affected government agencies to settle their debts or face disconnection.

This development highlights the importance of financial accountability and responsible management of public utilities.

It also underscores the necessity for government entities to fulfill their financial obligations to service providers promptly, ensuring uninterrupted services and avoiding potential disruptions.

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