A source close to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has dismissed the rumours of impeachment threats that has dominated the Lagos political scene in the last one week.
Speaking to ThisDay, the unnamed source who is a member of the Lagos state cabinet, said the governor has consistently been preaching a message of forgiveness and unity after he lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket.
He stated that the governor has since declared support for the APC governorship candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, hence the issue of impeachment should not arise.
He further stated that Ambode has been working with the APC leaders at different levels to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not take advantage of what happened during the primaries to take over the state.
According to him, just after the process that threw up Sanwo-Olu, Ambode had been taking different steps to reunite party chieftains, principal officers of the House of Assembly and members of the State Executive Council (SEC), among others.
He said at the first EXCO meeting after he lost the return ticket,Ambode devoted quality time to preaching a message of forgiveness and unity, asking all the council members to work in support of the governorship candidate.
The cabinet member quoted Ambode as saying, “The primaries have been concluded at all levels. We must forgive one another irrespective of what happened before the primaries.
As a Christian, I will never be vindictive to any person for opposing my re-election.”
Apart from Ambode’s message of forgiveness and re-dedication at the meeting, an APC chieftain disclosed that Ambode had already collapsed the Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) into the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Council.
Specifically, the APC source disclosed that Ambode appointed a five-man contact team under the leader of the Coordinator of AMSG, Hakeem Sulaimon, to hold a meeting with the Director-General of the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Council, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, on how to work together now that the primaries had been concluded.
In addition to Ambode’s decision to set up the contact team that met with the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Council, the APC source explained that the governor had directed his supporters across the 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs to begin grassroots campaign for the APC governorship candidate.
Immediately after the primaries, according to the source, Ambode sent the message to all his supporters and support groups to ensure that the PDP did not win the state, for the sake of continuity and President Muhammadu Buhari.
To demonstrate the commitment he made in his concession speech, the APC source revealed that Ambode also held a meeting with principal officers of the House of Assembly also with a message of forgiveness and peace.
He noted that all the principal officers attended the meeting during which the governor pleaded with them “to work for the peace and progress of Lagos state irrespective of what happened before and during the primaries.” The source further stated that Ambode had made it clear that he was going to do everything to win the state for the APC, including giving financial support to Sanwo-olu and even campaigning for him.
“He harbours no ill feelings towards anybody, as a matter of fact, he has repeatedly thanked the national leader (Tinubu) for choosing him from millions of able and capable people, eligible to be the governor in 2015. So I see no reason for the impeachment,” he added.
Spend less on the Internet! Impeachment rumours of the governor had reared its head after the Private Sector Partnership (PSP) officials in Lagos were ordered by the state House of Assembly to resume work immediately across all local government areas and councils.
The order was given by Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the House, on behalf of lawmakers on Thursday, October 17, during plenary.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had earlier disengaged most of the PSP operators from operating in the state after the introduction of a new environmental initiative through the Visionscape Sanitation Solution Limited.
The lawmakers also ordered the clerk, Azeez Sanni, to invite the commissioner for environment, Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti to appear before the House on the matter soon.
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