Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) has urged governorship aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to go and test their popularity in the party primary.
Briefing journalists, at the APC state Secretariat, on Acme Road, yesterday, on the official stance of the 22-man GAC, who met last Saturday, Dr. Abayomi Finnih, in company with Professor Tunde Samuel affirmed that the council, unanimously, adopted direct primaries to pick APC candidates, including for the governorship contest.
GAC, the highest decision-making organ of the party, is headed by the APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Finnih assured that there will be level-playing field among the three aspirants jostling for the governorship ticket of the party.
The governorship aspirants are the incumbent, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Managing Director of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and former commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Femi Hamzat.
The council had, after last Saturday’s meeting at Tinubu’s Bourdillion, Ikoyi residence, insisted on the direct primary for all governorship aspirants slated for the September, 29 primaries.
The APC leader, who spoke on behalf of the council, assured that all necessary machinery has been put in place to ensure a peaceful, free and fair exercise.
“It is not Tinubu’s affair as it is being peddled around in the social media and some quarters. The GAC has no preferred candidates among the aspirants. It is not about Tinubu, it is a collective decision. We resolved to provide a level-playing ground for the contenders without fair or favour.
Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu, has reached out to the former Lagos State governor and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
Sanwo-Olu is also discussing with the camp of the factional APC chairman in the state, Fuad Oki. He was said to have, in the past, met with the former APC legal adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire and other critical shareholders of the party.
Sanwo-Olu was represented by the Director General of his campaign organisation, Tayo Ayinde, during the meeting with Oki.
Sources close to Sanwo-Olu said: “Our principal’s meeting with Fashola held on the phone, for several minutes, during which the duo expressed mutual understanding particularly as the former worked under the latter as commissioner…”
In a related development, the APC national leadership has, for the fourth time, shifted the presidential primary from Thursday, September 27 to Friday, September 28.
President Muhammadu Buhari is the party’s only known aspirant for the 2019 presidential poll.
The ruling party had initially fixed September 26 as the date to conduct the direct primary but later shifted to September 25, then Thursday, September 27, before the latest date was announced in a statement by acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena.
He, however, hinged the reason for the latest postponement on a clash of dates with the Osun governorship election re-run, which holds on Thursday.
