PDP, Not Me Behind Fashola’s Mess—Tinubu

Former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has played down speculations that the household of the ruling party in Lagos State is in shambles.

This follows the alleged division between loyalists of the immediate past governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola and the incumbent governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. Followers of Fashola are accusing Ambode of witch-hunting his predecessor. He was also accused of carrying out the orders of his alleged god-father, Tinubu.

The APC chieftain, in a statement, dissociated himself from the allegations, saying he has no hands in it. He accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of trying to plant discord in the APC because of its loss at the polls in the 2015 general elections.

“I want to declare clearly and categorically that these rancid attacks do not come from me nor do I endorse them. Neither my hand nor my heart is in these mean submissions. I deplore them.

“An attack against the performance of Governor Fashola is indirectly an attack against me and the edifice of achievement we have constructed in leading Lagos state out of a protracted time of stagnation and into an era of sustained progress and development,” he said.

He boasted that, “I am proud to say that I played an instrumental role in bringing Governor Fashola into politics in the first instance. He served as my trusted chief of staff, performing excellently in that role.

“Due to his leadership qualities and diligent work ethic, I endorsed him for governor notwithstanding the stiff and vocal opposition of many. I am not ashamed of backing him. I believe the progress the state made under his administration has more than vindicated my endorsement.”

He added that, “Fashola, the present Governor Akin Ambode including myself are the products of a progressive political institution and its programmatic expressions. I laid the governance foundation and started the first lap, running as well as I could.

“I handed the baton to Fashola, knowing he would do the same. He did; he ran as well as he could. Now, he has handed to Ambode who is off and running as well as he can.  We have achieved much in Lagos; but, we recognize as much as anyone that we have much more to do.”

“We also know that progress is fragile and easily undone while destruction is easily transacted but hard to undo. I for one am not the type to tear down my own house or to bring my enemy’s rubbish into it.

“We must remember something. We have always governed Lagos state as an open forum where democracy and free expression were respected.

“Those who are against us were never placed in fear of the heavy hand of government descending on them even as they played funny tricks. We also must remember than in any democracy, a number of people will always oppose you no matter the quality of your performance.

“If an office holder has an approval rating of 70 percent, this means, in Lagos, roughly five million people dislike the person,” said Tinubu.

“Also remember the PDP is just recently out of office at the federal level and that it built a vast, unprecedented financial war chest to contest the elections.

“The residual of that war chest is still at work, buying media space to plant rumours in hopes of spreading discord through the APC. Thus, the enemy camp may be a minority but it is a large and well-funded one that knows its only chance lies in us attacking ourselves.

“I for one will not bend to the artificial provocation of those seeking to tear at what we have painstakingly built over the years. In my mind, Governor Fashola and I are and shall always be political allies and fellow travellers on a vital journey; that alliance is unshakeable and our journey must not be interrupted. I would no more attack his character or his administration than I would attack myself.

“I see this present moment as crucial to Nigeria’s future. The nation faces acute challenges of security, corruption and economic development. Our task is to create policies that bring prosperity, dignity and hope to all. Great change is in reach because we have progressive governments at the federal and state levels for the first time.

“With great change at hand, it would be a terrible abdication of our duty to allow agents provocateur to prompt us to suspect and toss dirt at each other at a time when we should be focused on building a better, more equitable nation and society.

“I for one shall never allow myself to be a tool of a political enemy that has nothing good in mind for Nigeria. I for one will never engage in the intramural character attacks of which I am being accused. I stand for the unity of the APC and for the progressive purpose we serve. I will not be guilty of tearing down our progressive house, not a brick of it. That I vow to all,” the APC chieftain said.