Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has said members of the All Progressives Congress(APC) and elders in Lagos State must ensure that the governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, gets a second term ticket.
Ogunlewe, who defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), said the governor must be compensated for what he “is doing during his first term in office.”
Speaking on Arise TV on Saturday, the former minister said though other politicians should not be barred from competing with the governor for the party’s ticket, Sanwo-Olu must be given the opportunity to pick the ticket based on his performance.
He said: “The fact remains that the APC has no better candidate in Lagos State than the incumbent, Mr Sanwo-Olu, who is doing well. He has performed above my expectations and he is going to also build on what he is doing now during the second term.
“He should be allowed to be the candidate of the APC in 2023 because the party does not have a better candidate than him. Yes, other aspirants can be allowed to show interest, but the best candidate for the office remains the governor.
“The issue of governance is not about Sanwo-Olu, rather it is about the party policies being implemented and services being rendered to Lagosians.
“Because of this exemplary performance of the governor, there is no sense in stopping him or not allowing him to complete the commendable works he is doing in the state.
“What Sanwo-Olu has been able to achieve in Lagos and what he wishes to complete; it is the wish of Lagosians that he should be allowed to complete them.”
He emphasised that Sanwo-Olu should be allowed to sustain and consolidate his achievements in his first term.
“We don’t want disruption again, breaking of policies and government has negatively affected Lagos State and we must avoid it at all cost,” Ogunlewe added.
The former minister also said a former governor of Lagos State and APC presidential hopefully, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should be encouraged to lead the country in 2023, adding that as the foundation of the APC, Tinubu “is best positioned to continue where the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari is going to stop.”
“Tinubu has seen it all. He is a cosmopolitan politician and he is best positioned based on his experience and connection across the country to be the presidential candidate of the APC.
“He is educated and has gathered enough experience to lead the country. Nigeria will gain from his wealth of experience and be allowed to rule,” Ogunlewe said.
