It was a political decision members of the public hardly expect. But for those in the know, it was only a matter of time before the news got to the public that the strongman of Lagos Politics and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was dumping Lagos governor Akinwunmi Ambode and would oppose the incumbent governor’s aspiration for a second term in office come 2019.

POSTERITY MEDIA’s findings revealed that Tinubu had long made the decision not to support Ambode’s re-election bid due to alteration of the state’s major policies the governor made after he assumed office. However, he kept the matter to himself as well as his inner caucus.

A number of politicians we spoke to who requested that their names not be used  explained that Tinubu made up his mind not to endorse his political godson for re-election due to Ambode’s alleged effrontery to alter, modify and scrap some state’s policies initiated under the Tinubu administration between 1999 and 2007.

Tinubu is said to have felt betrayed by Ambode whom he accused of biting the fingers that fed him.

Tinubu was further said to have complained that Ambode would never have emerged Governor in 2015 if not that he virtually imposed him on the state.

Ambode’s sins

One of the sources told POSTERITY MEDIA that Ambode’s ‘sins’ include his style of administration and evident independent way of doing things, sometimes without the courtesy of consulting Tinubu.

Additionally, Ambode’s decision to alter the operational name and structure of agencies like Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), which his administration scrapped and modified to serve the residents more effectively was another bone of contention.

For example, while KAI was replaced with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), the source said LAWMA gave way for Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), which he said, designed for effective management of the state’s residential wastes.

Unfortunately, this quite wasn’t smooth-sailing as it ran into troubled waters with waste virtually taking over different parts of the state.

Back in April, Tinubu had expressed concern about the heaps of refuse on Lagos roads.

The former Lagos State Governor spoke while addressing members of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, also known as PSP operators, at his Bourdillon Ikoyi, Lagos residence.

Members of the association, who were led by their Vice Chairman, David Oriyemi had submitted a petition to Tinubu, lamenting the disengagement of PSP operators in the state, which, according to him, has led to the loss of over 25,000 direct jobs.

The group added that 350 indigenous operators have also suffered economic losses since Visionscape, a foreign waste management company, was engaged by the Lagos state government.

The waste managers appealed to Tinubu to prevail on Ambode to consider their plights and reengage them since they have over a decade expertise in waste management.

Responding, Tinubu said the matter was also of concern to him.

“I’m concerned as a leader, resident and a father in the state that heaps of refuse are gradually returning to Lagos. When driving around Lagos, I have seen a buildup of refuse. Be rest assured that we’re not going to allow that to happen,” Tinubu said.

Explaining further, Tinubu used the opportunity to deny ownership of Visionscape,

“I beg to correct something and I think I have to do it publicly; the rumour I’ve heard all over the state and the social media is that I am the one who brought a foreign company.

“I am not the owner of Visionscape. Categorically, I’m telling you today, I have no penny…Yes, that is the truth,” Tinubu said

He explained that the decision to bring in the company to handle waste collection and management was entirely that of Lagos state government and has nothing to do with him.

Tinubu, however, assured the operators he would meet with Governor Ambode in the shortest time possible towards finding a lasting solution to the waste management crisis in the state.

By modifying or more or less scrapping the agencies and the manner he handled the waste issue, Tinubu was said to have felt Ambode’s clear message was simply to rubbish his legacies.

Apart from KAI and LAWMA, another source cited the case of Lagos Bus Reform Initiative, which the Ambode administration invested over N30 billion Paris Club refunds the state received from the federal government between 2016 and 2017.

Specifically, the source disclosed that Tinubu’s idea of public transportation “is completely different from the Bus Reform Initiative, which Ambode introduced in 2017. Asiwaju believes public transportation should be driven by the private sector.

“Ambode’s decision to invest such huge amount on the construction of bus terminals and procurement of about 6,000 air-conditioned high occupancy vehicles is at variance with Asiwaju’s position. Asiwaju never bought into this initiative.”

Besides policy alteration, an entirely different source said Asiwaju was displeased with his godson because he set up a political group of his own called Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation (AAMCO) with networks across all LGAs and LCDAs.

According to the source, all political groups in the state have been collapsed into Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation (BATCO). Asiwaju felt the creation of AAMCO was a violation of his directive.

Meanwhile, some APC chieftains including former APC Deputy Chairman, Cardinal James Odumbaku and former Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Kaoli Olusanya, have allegedly directed Ambode to return his nomination form or face impeachment at a meeting held at Watercress Hotel, Ikeja Monday night.

Ambode had on Monday declared his intention to seek re-election in 2019 on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he remains undaunted and resolutely committed to achieve more for the State.

Interestingly, the new  governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state being backed by Tinubu,  Babajide Sanwo-Olu said on Wednesday that his aspiration has nothing to do with the APC national leader but about taking a new Lagos to the next level.

Speaking with newsmen at the APC national secretariat in Abuja after submitting his nomination form, Sanwo-Olu expressed confidence that Lagos state will be better off with him as governor of the state.

He said that as a three time Commissioner, two time Special Adviser and head of the biggest corporation in Lagos state, he has the required experience to run the state.

He said “There is no doubt that things will be said here and there. I am a full grown man with several years of experience. Like I said, it is about the Lagos of our dream and the Lagos that we want to take to the next level and so, it has absolutely nothing to do with our leader.

“There is no denying the fact that he has been our national leader and he plays that role not only in the state, but at the national level. He has interest in the improvement and wellbeing of the Nigerian dream.

“So, by extension, Lagos is a dream that he is passionate about and we will continue to refer to him as our leader. The most other things, is that I am in front of you, this is who I am and this is what I have come to express to you and Lagos will be a better place for all of us.”

“I am someone that is over 50 years old, infact I am 53 years old. More importantly, in the last 30 years, I have spent 16 years in the private sector and 11 in the public sector. I have been three time Commissioner, two time special Adviser, I have been Managing Director of the biggest corporation in the state and has served about three governors.

“So, I have had a dream to obviously contribute more as a Lagosian, as a son of the soil and just to let our people get to the level where they know that governance is all about people, what they expect and what you throw back to them to them to improve the cost of living and security of lives.

“Given the number of years of my experience in the public and private sector, I think it is appropriate for me now. Certainly, I am not going to wait until the not too young catches up with us. So, it is better for me to bring that aspiration to bear today,” Sanwo-Olu said.