Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s dream for a second term suffered a major setback on Saturday as the major stakeholders and leaders of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) endorsed Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the position.
This was the outcome of a marathon meeting of the party’s Governor’s Advisory Committee (GAC), major stakeholders and leaders, chaired by the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, which was held from 10 a.m. till late in the afternoon on Saturday.
Senator Anthony Adefuye, one of the party’s major stakeholders, who stood in for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stated this at the party’s stakeholders’ meeting at the APC state secretariat, Acme Road, Ikeja.
He announced the official withdrawal of Dr. Obafemi Hamzat from the governorship race.
He said that Hamzat stepped down from the race, endorsing Sanwo-Olu for the position.
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He also announced that the party’s governorship primaries, earlier slated for Sunday would now be held on Monday, October 1.
Adefuye’s announcement received mixed reactions from thousands of the party’s members, who had assembled at the secretariat as early as 9 a.m. and waited till about 4.30 pm when leaders’ decision was made public.
While thousands of Ambode’s supporters went home in shock, Sanwo-Olu’s followers went into jubilation at the secretariat.
Both Ambode and Sanwo-Olu’s supporters had since early morning been singing and dancing in groups, each trying to out-do the other.
But as the crowd were leaving after hearing the leaders’ stand, some of Ambode’s supporters were openly seen lamenting that what transpired showed that the future might be bleak for the party in Lagos.
Earlier, Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat addressed a press briefing in Ikoyi, Lagos.
At the briefing, Hamzat announced that he was stepping down for Sanwo-Olu.
