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Ambode garners second term endorsements, as he picks form Today.
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is enjoying abundance of justifiable endorsements for his stellar performances, as he seeks re-election.
His endorsers are backing him for a second term in office. The beauty of the endorsements is that they are based on what he has to show for his time in office so far.
In other words, he has attracted powerful endorsements through the power of his performance.
The three lawmakers representing Lagos State in the Senate – Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) and Solomon Olamilekan (Lagos West) – said in a letter of endorsement: “We particularly are proud of the infrastructure development that you have brought to the entire state in general and to our districts in particular. Your smart solutions in tackling the traffic and security challenges that initially faced your administration have become template for other states to copy. Also, your strategic partnerships with Kebbi and Kano States have thrown more light to the capacity of Lagos State and the creative manager of man and resources which you are.
We must also mention that through the course of the period which our country battled with an economic recession, you made sure that Lagos State remained well above the curve.”
Similarly, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives from Lagos State endorsed Ambode for a second term in office. They also presented a letter to him, asking him to seek re election. The Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, who led the caucus, was quoted as saying: “Because of the giant strides of our amiable Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode in the last two and a half years in governing the State; because of the things he has done across the board, across all the Local Government Areas, across different sectors, we sat together and we decided without a dissenting voice to seek his audience and endorse him for re-election in 2019 as the Governor of Lagos State.”
Also, the chairmen of the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Lagos State endorsed Ambode for a second term in office. The Chairman of Conference of LGs and LCDAs in the state, Omolola Essien, who is also the Chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, said: “Our decision to support him for another term in office is based on the fact that he has performed extremely well; we can all see that everything that he has done in Lagos State, no other state has been able to do that. He has done very well.”
It is noteworthy that Ambode’s endorsers are not only APC members who want their party man to continue in office. Various other groups and individuals want Ambode to seek reelection. For example, on April 11, the National Union of Lagos State Students (NULASS) held a rally to support Ambode for a second term in office. Another example: Traditional rulers in Lagos State of Ijebu extraction have unanimously endorsed him. The traditional rulers are from Epe, Eredo, Agbowa-Ikosin, Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki.
The point is that Ambode represents forward-looking governance, which Lagos needs to develop.
Listed 12th among the world’s largest 35 cities in 2015 when Ambode became governor, the former federal capital is work in progress, and the development-related results of Ambode’s progressive efforts are unmistakable and applaudable.
Ambode’s vision leaves no room for underdevelopment in any area, whether it is lighting up the city, keeping the city clean, building homes, rebuilding roads, providing security, tackling transportation, building theatres and so on.
Interestingly, last year, Ambode published his “random thoughts” in a thought-provoking newspaper article in which he said: “I am sharing my thoughts in this article, not necessarily as the Governor of Lagos State but as a Nigerian; a Nigerian who wants to see progress and sustainable growth in our country. I have been lucky to be administering over a state that has been put on the right track by my two predecessors, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). I do not think I have done anything special except to bring my own style of leadership, my own experience and my vision. Lagos, as it is, has not reached its peak but we can see signs of progress and positive transition to the Lagos of our dreams. What bothers me personally is that I do not see the same level of progress elsewhere in the country. I am not happy that most states in our country are not advancing like Lagos.”
Through his concept of “One Lagos,” Ambode has promoted inclusive governance as key to inclusive growth. It is commendable that his administration’s inclusive governance and inclusive development efforts continue to drive development at the grassroots.
He continues to work for good governance, but recognises that development takes time. “It will take time but I believe in the philosophy of Think It, Plan It and then Act It…We must and are expected to think through all our policies properly and to the end before planning and executing. The difference between the thinking time, planning time, the execution time and the action time demanded by the populace is what makes people cry out,” he reasoned in his article.
Ambode is impressively focused on remodelling Lagos and making it a model megalopolis. It is a tribute to Ambode’s quality governance that the country’s other states cannot resist applauding his governance model. He has shown that well-rounded governance is an expression of well-rounded thinking, and has demonstrated the possibilities of political governance in a country that needs models of creative thinking in high political office.
As the 2019 elections approach, it is foreseeable that Ambode will enjoy more endorsements. Any objective measurement of his first-term performance cannot deny that his administration has had a significant impact on the development of Lagos State. There is no doubt that Ambode has done enough to earn a second term in office.
But with all this endorsement and perception from the public that Ambode has done well yet it has cries and rummours that have trailed him that the top politicians in APC don’t want Ambode to come back and only many believe the fights for 2023 has began with fear that Ambode might decided to grow into a political godfather and decides who succeds him but with the closure of firms for APC tomm and with Ambode picking his form this morning,nothing seems to be on his way as it seem reasons have prevaiked as no other person have collected the form.
