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The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) statewide electioneering campaign took off in a grand style Wednesday with chieftains of the Party, including its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, urging all registered voters to vote massively for APC to ensure continuity at the state level and change at the national level.
The rally, which took place at the Old Airways Ground opposite the Police College, GRA, Ikeja, also had in attendance the APC Lagos State Gubernatorial Candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and his running mate, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule as well as all the other Candidates of the Party at both the national and State levels.
Addressing the mammoth crowd that gathered at the rally, Governor Fashola said all adults of voting age in the State must collect their Permanent Voters Cards in their various Local Governments to ensure that the APC remains in office in Lagos State.
He maintained that the right of every voter to exercise his franchise is an inalienable right that could not be taken away by any government or institution, adding that on Election Day, every eligible voter would be entitled to vote irrespective of whether what he has is a Permanent Voters Card or a Temporary Voters Card.
Describing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State as “a party that delights in peddling falsehoods” Governor Fashola alleged that every sector that the party has touched has been destroyed urging Lagosians not to allow them destroy what has been built in the State.
The Governor said, while Lagos is working and All Progressives Congress (APC) is also working, the ruling party at the centre has mismanaged Nigeria’s resources and could not even guarantee steady power supply.
He stated that what the PDP-led Federal Government found impossible to achieve has been put in place by the Lagos State Government through its Independent Power Projects which have provided dedicated power to selected public institutions in different parts of the State.
According to the Governor, the State Government has provided dedicated power to the State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where surgical operations can be carried out without disruptions due to power failure and established a Power Academy where young people would be trained “to fill the vacancies that would exist in the power generation and distribution sectors in the foreseeable future”.
The Governor said because of the epileptic power supply situation in the country, the State Government has provided retraining to over 30,000 young people in less than three months to become self sustaining.
Pledging to continue to honour the sacrifices of past leaders instead of coming to the soapbox to blame them for his inability to perform in office, Governor Fashola, thanked his predecessors in office, from General Mobolaji Johnson and Alhaji Lateef Jakande, through the late Pa Michael Otedola, Commodore Ndubuisi Kanu, late Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe and others, to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, “for building the pillars and foundation upon which the State stands till today”.
The Governor added, “As the complexity of the State emerges, the challenge ahead needs an expert in financial management and an answer has been found in Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode”.
In his address at the event, APC’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, commended all the gubernatorial aspirants in the Lagos APC for their display of spirit of sportsmanship after the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode.
Describing himself as “a proud leader and father of talents”, the National Leader declared, “It is the prayer of every parent that their wards should be more famous and prominent than they are”, adding that the performance of his successor in office gladdens his heart.
The former Governor said the last eight years in Lagos has been a period of sound experience, skilled development of children, improved hospital services, better roads and a general state of excellence.
He disclosed that some young minds approached him earlier to indicate that they would prefer that the APC in Lagos presented a young man to continue from where Governor Fashola would stop adding, “Today the party has settled for an experienced young man who is capable of taking Lagos to the next level”.
Reiterating that Lagos is too strategic to be experimented with, the National Leader said the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, “lacked the cognate experience to rule Lagos as he failed to take advantage of the several offers made to him in the past to learn the rope about the art of governance due to his inordinate ambition”.
Asiwaju Tinubu noted that Nigeria is going through a period of trial and would need a special leader to take it through such a challenging period, adding that with the admittance of President Goodluck Jonathan recently that he has failed, there was no basis for him to want to repeat the class by seeking another term in office.
While addressing the supporters, the APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said his administration would continue to ensure the welfare of the residents of the State irrespective of tribe, creed or religion.
He promised to build on the legacy of the Fashola administration to ensure a cleaner Lagos and a government that would be accountable to every resident of the State by making life more economically viable for them.
The Gubernatorial Candidate also promised to set up an Employment Trust Fund that would be similar to the State Security Trust Fund and provide job creation opportunities to the teeming army of unemployed youths.
He urged the people to ensure that they vote massively on February 14th and 28th for all APC candidates to ensure that in addition to retaining power in Lagos State, the party also gains control at the Federal level.
Party leaders, including the State Chairman, Chief Henry Ajomale and the State Women leader, Chief (Mrs.) Kemi Nelson, later presented the party’s flag to Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Lagos West Senatorial Zone Candidate, Mr. Solomon Olamilekan, House of Representatives Candidate for Ikeja Federal Constituency, Mr. James Faleke and the two House of Assembly candidates for Ikeja, Mr. Folajimi Lai Mohammed and Mr. Tunde Kasumu.
Other APC leaders who attended the rally include Prince Tajudeen Oluyole- Olusi, the Deputy Governor, Hon (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, former Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, members of the State Executive Council, members of the House of Representatives and other candidates for various other positions as well as members of the State Executive of the APC.
