Lagos 2019: Sanwo-Olu’s widening support base

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State for the 2019 general elections, has continued to receive more endorsements for his aspiration as traditional leaders and groups within the state again announced their readiness to work for his victory. Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports.

The aspiration of Babajide Sanwoolu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state for the 2019 general elections, is daily receiving more boost and creating excitement across the southwestern state. Though he has continually been tipped as the man to beat in the governorship race, the APC candidate is not resting on his oars as he moves round the nooks and crannies of the state canvassing for votes.

His ongoing consultation visits to prominent individuals and groups in the state are attestation to the seriousness with which the former Commissioner is taking the 2019 gubernatorial contest. And expectedly, the backing he enjoys from the people and the institutions in the state is daily swelling. According to sources from his camp, “more and more Lagosians are daily seeing more reasons why Sanwoolu is the man we need to take Lagos to a greater height from 2019.”

His recent courtesy visit to the palaces of the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos State, Alhaji Mohammed Bambado, like many of such events turned out yet another harvest of endorsements. The Sarkin, who is the leader of the Fulani people in the state, assured the APC hopeful of the readiness of his people to support anything that will bring further growth and development to the state.

Alhaji Bambado told Sanwo-Olu to remember the Arewa community if God assists him to become governor next year. The Fulani monarch welcome the governorship contender and his supporters to his palace in Surulere and offered royal blessings towards the next February general elections. Sanwoolu was accompanied to the traditional ruler’s residence by notable members of his campaign team.

According to Bambado, many a times, various candidates visited the palace with a lot of promises but at the end, the Arewa Community was forgotten after they have been able to achieve their aims. However, the monarch believes that, “with Babajide Sanwo-Olu and people around him, the Arewa Community will see changes and to achieve that, the Arewa Community should be part of the government, not minding being minority, but we are an important stakeholders and we contribute to the economic development of Lagos State.”

In his remark Hon. Babajide Sanwo-Olu commended the able leadership of Alhaji Mohammed Bambado the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos for the peaceful atmosphere in his domain and the firm control of his subjects. The APC governorship candidate expressed his delight over his ‘small home coming’ having spent over 35 years growing up in Surulere, stressing that, as a candidate, he has come as a subject to express his regard, honour, pay homage and visitation to important stake holders in the state.

“And I realize the Fulani/Arewa community in Lagos is important stake holders, and to acknowledge the rulership of Your Highness and your followers that cannot be put aside. We have come to the palace to show ourselves while going out to tell people what we want to do for them as soon as the Governorship Campaign kicks off next week and to also assure you on peaceful co-existence as Nigerians we can do business without fear or favour,” Sanwo-Olu explained.

In a related development, members of the Crystal Alliance Strategic Committee, announced their endorsement of the APC candidate as the best man for the job of governing Lagos state in the next four years. The group made the announcement in Magodo, Lagos while briefing newsmen on the outcome of their week-long study into the needs and expectations of Lagosians ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Speaking on behalf of other members of the committee who were present at the briefing, the chairman, Philip Edebe, urged Lagosians to vote for Sanwo-Olu in the general election next year, because according to him, findings by the strategic committee after diligently examining the state of things in the state today and the enormous work needed to keep Lagos on the track to greater heights, revealed that a man like Jide Sanwoolu is required in the saddle.

“Sanwo-olu has rich pedigree, intimidating credentials. We have sat down and decided on Sanwo-Olu. We have given him our support for the next election because he has the best potential to take Lagos to higher levels. And that is why we are boldly coming public to tell Lagosians that for us to keep Lagos working and working well, we must all join our hands together and put Sanwoolu in Government House.

“Members of the committee looked at things dispassionately, deliberately and without sentiments before we took decisions. We considered a wide gamut of sectors and issue. We delved into education, health, infrastructure, welfare, social and political expectations, party needs and public interests, youth empowerment, women and child mortality, population and job needs; all these and more were considered as we analyzed Lagos and its urgent needs.

“Today, we believe in Sanwo-Olu and we encourage the good people of Lagos state to vote for him  because our findings after diligently examining the state of things in the state today and the enormous work needed to keep Lagos on the track to greater heights, revealed that a man like Jide Sanwoolu is required in the saddle. We are not the only group saying this same thing, many other study groups have said the same thing. So, our recommendation is based on the current realities in the state,” he said.

The chairman, while urging chieftains and members of the ruling party in the state to close ranks and work hard for the victory of the party’s candidate in the governorship election, appreciated the support and encouragement of the leader of the Crystal Alliance Group of the APC in Lagos state, Chief (Mrs.) Remi Adiukwu, for the committee while it was at its assignment which lasted weeks. “No doubt, Chief Remi Adiukwu means well for Lagos state and she means well for her party, the APC,” he added.