Last week, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State extolled the virtues of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, saying his Lagos State counterpart was his politician of the year.
Shettima had praised Ambode’s acceptance of the Lagos State governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which more or less left him as an orphan in the state and among the comity of his colleague governors.
The Borno State governor, who is the APC south-west reconciliation committee chairman, made the complimentary remarks in Ibadan when he led the committee to meet with aggrieved members of the party from Oyo and Osun states.
“Governor Ambode is my own politician of the year and the ultimate peacemaker. We are here essentially to build bridges of understanding, to reconcile with our aggrieved members and seek ways to make appropriate recommendation to the NWC of the party for us to make progress as a family and to make amends where necessary,” he said.
According to the governor, “We have a lot to learn from Governor Ambode; he demonstrated courage, he demonstrated an unparalleled generosity of spirit that has never been shown by any Nigerian politician. Many people were spoiling for a fight. I believe that power is from God and believe me, the kind of respect that his actions have generated for him across the nation is much more than spending 18 years in power.”
Recall that Ambode lost the primary to Babajide Sanwo-Olu in circumstances that pundits believe were annoying to lovers of the state governor.
Following the development, Wale Oluwo, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, recently resigned his appointment, and immediately declared for the main opposition, People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Oluwo, an indigene of Epe, in a letter dated December 3rd, and presented to Ambode at the weekly Executive Council, stressed that the decision was his inability to understand the party’s stance on justice and fairness.
“A few hours ago, I submitted to the Governor my letter of resignation of my appointment as the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources. Consequently as a registered member of the all Progressives Congress, I have deemed it necessary to formally notify you of my intention to reconsider my membership status.
“My decision to resign is not unconnected with the events of the last few weeks, which have created a heavy moral burden for me,” the former commissioner said.
Rumours had trailed Oluwo’s resignation that he may have been sent forth by the governor as an “advance party” preparatory to his eventual exit from the APC. But the former commissioner urged pooh-poohed such insinuations, urging those in such guess work to leave Ambode out of his resignation.
“They should take Ambode out of it; it was my decision. I made my own decision and invariably, they (other commissioners) have to make their own decisions based on the reality they face or the perception they see and how they will react to it. If anyone of them is interested in joining me in the PDP, I welcome them with open hands and I know his Excellency Jimi Agbaje will welcome them.
“It is not correct (to say that leaving the APC for the PDP is political suicide). I can tell you based on the realities on the ground today that Jimi Agbaje is going to be the next governor of Lagos State,” he said.
According to him, “The APC had Lagos on lockdown before this abracadabra of Ambode’s ticket issue, so anything that is happening to the APC now is self-inflicted. They denied Ambode his ticket although they confirmed that he was doing well and he was a good governor, but that he is not a party man. What does a party man mean? So, not getting your second term is the punishment you get for not being a party man? That is a decision the party has taken and it must be ready to stand by the consequence of that decision.
“I think the APC leadership and the governor will have to manage the consequence of this my exit and if it is mismanaged, it may cause a lot of people to leave the APC to go to the PDP. So, their reaction can trigger action in some individuals. But I expect some more to come.”
But while some people were making a lot of fuss about the treatment given to Ambode, the man at the centre of the drama has since moved on. The maturity with which he is handling the development has astonished many.
“Not many politicians would have taken this matter the way Ambode is going about it. The most shocking aspect of the whole thing is that he accepted to serve on the reconciliation committee of the party, whereas he needed to be visited by the party to pacify him over the huge injustice done to him. The man has got a huge heart, I tell you,” an analyst said.
Although he was publicly disgraced by the manner he was denied return ticket, Governor Ambode has continued to be loyal to his party. When his godfathers suspected that he may have been nursing a plan to play some anti-party game or dump the party, they threatened him with impeachment.
Ambode’s acceptance to serve on the reconciliation of his party has however, attracted cheers and jeers in equal measure. While some critics say he lacked the strong will to tell the king makers in Lagos to keep their job and then take a walk, which may confer a measure of respect on him, some others say he is swallowing the insult because he has no political structure to survive outside the entrenched interest in the state politics. Yet, some other observers have given him kudos over his decision to “play the fool” in the midst of excessive provocation.
“It is ironic that Ambode could accept to be on the train of the APC reconciliation drive. Many people are nursing a feeling of grievance in the party, but there is nobody that should be as aggrieved as Governor Ambode. Look at Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Rochas Okorocha of Imo, who are not even re-contesting for their seats but because their candidates were denied ticket, they are threatening fire and brimstone. They are blowing very hot against the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee of the party. Ambode’s case is pathetic being the only serving governor across the country that was refused a return ticket. It is not only annoying; it is embarrassing and lowers the governor’s self-esteem. But I admire his large-heartedness and I think this is exemplary. He believes that the future will heal all wounds,” an observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
In his reaction as to what he would have done if he were Governor Akinwunmi Ambode against the backdrop of his being denied the return ticket, Ayo Kusamotu, a lawyer, said: “To be sincere with you, if I were Governor Ambode, I would quietly leave government. This is because, even among thieves, there’s honour. That’s just a quote. Ambode, we all know was assisted into power by Asiwaju Tinubu, therefore, he has no other choice than to toe that line. So, you don’t bite the finger that fed you; just quietly leave government and go your way.”
