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This is perhaps the best guarded secret in the Nigerian political circuit. It is so closely and conscientiously guarded because if leaked, it is potent enough to rupture all calculations in the run up to the general election and ruin many political dynasties. However, as guarded as it is, a number of persons, especially influential and disgruntled politicians in the state are discussing the possibility of letting the cat out of the bag so that whatever can be done to remedy the situation before the elections can be effected.
Understandably, there are pockets of disenchantment with the leadership of the party especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose unilateral imposition of Akinwunmi Ambode as the governorship candidate of the party has triggered a concerted but stealthy determination to reveal the true face of the APC flag-bearer.
Since his emergence as the anointed of Tinubu, the national leader of the party and two-term governor of Lagos State, Ambode, a career civil servant, has come against a whirlwind of opposition. Early in his campaign, it emerged that the former Accountant-General of Lagos State actually hails from Ilaje, a riverine community in Ondo State. That, however, did not burst his bubble as predicted. After the primaries, and with the agreement by all aggrieved parties to face the election with a common front, everybody set to work for Ambode’s emergence. And then, Ambode bared his fangs. It started with several party chieftains complaining bitterly that since he got the ticket, Ambode became incommunicado as he would neither pick his calls nor return missed calls, while flagrantly missing key political appointments. This led party stalwarts to question his seriousness for the electioneering ahead. Instead of fanning the embers of discord, the party chiefs resolved that something had to be done urgently to rescue the APC ship from sinking.
Unbeknownst to them, a greater shock was in the offing. As it would emerge, Ambode wasn’t deliberately ignoring calls or failing to live up to the demands of electioneering for the governorship seat of Nigeria’s most important state; he was merely at the mercy of a more powerful and debilitating foe that he had concealed from those who stuck out their necks for him.
According to a source, Ambode has a history of mental disorder which predates his foray into the governorship race and underscores his aloofness and arrogance towards those that can actually help him do the dirty job of electioneering. In fact, those who know say the drugs he takes are the cause of his rotund physique. The source further says that he periodically visits the United States for routine checkup. Based on the feedback from those who matter, Tinubu has reportedly expressed concerned about Ambode, wondering whether he had not made the greatest faux pas of his political career. Tinubu is however resolute about ensuring that Ambode, warts and all, does not lose Lagos. It is however yet to be seen how he would react when news of his protégé’s mental state reach him.
