Rarely do I wake up to this kind of big news. Someone entrenched deeply in Akinwumi Ambodes camp woke me to the news of the possible endorsement of Ambode to succeed my brother Gov SANWO-OLU
I woke up immediately and asked him if he was sure of what he was saying, and he replied in the affirmative.
I quickly made some calls only to find out that I was behind.
To some people, this was stale news and to the generality of those that I called that should know, they had just heard in the last 24 hours and were all open to the prospect
Who wouldn’t be? An Ambode return ticks almost all boxes.
To the powers that be, the maturity with which he took his removal was commendable and if you now add the goodwill this maturity engendered, then its no rocket science that the decision to send him back to Alausa seems to have been taken
Ambode delivered stupendous service delivery with landmark projects.
His International Airport road is world-class, the bridges that litter the city – yaba overheard and the rest.
All these combined to put Lagos on a trajectory which thankfully was sustained by his Successor in some areas
Ambode started the foundation of what we now call Detty December with his support for the entertainment industry
Even before he became Governor, he single-handedly supported Ice Prince’s massive hit – Ole Eku which announced the rebirth of Afrobeat
Ambode impacted entertainment infrastructure, pushed Government support for the industry and positioned it as a veritable job creation and Youth empowerment vehicle.
Ambode meticulously attended shows, his presence serving to inspire artists, pushing them to dream bigger and create more.
His impact on healthcare was another one as, for the first time, people actually started withdrawing their patients and taking them to General Hospitals.
The ICU at the Ikeja General Hospital became the ground zero of Lagos.
It is no wonder that Lagosians began to miss him, the moment he left, leaving very big shoes.
The calculation is very simple. Give him his last term to pave the way for the biological successor who still needs some tutoring and experience to take on the most powerful sub-national seat in the Country, if not on the continent.
A quick survey of names earlier mentioned shows a strong field of incompetence, all pushing on the platform of a sense of entitlement.
One has crashed out with his removal as speaker, and the others appear really weak with no real capacity but positioning to be anointed on the strength of loyalty
Much as loyalty is very key to the powers that be, but you can’t leave 20m people, trillions in GDP and a strong economic base to a leader whose only qualifications are – that those who have run are not better than me.
President Tinubu needs a strong and healthy Lagos.
Lagos is his abiding legacy, his anchor and the platform he uses to justify his claim to abiding leadership.
Ambode is the best hand at this time to ensure that needed stability.
He is experienced, loyal, forthright and very clear as to the needs of Lagos and Lagosians
Following a long career which started from Shomolu Local Government and rose to Accountant General bf hitting the peak, Ambode is perfectly fit to engage the myriad of problems that Lagos is struggling with right now, and this is why Ambode ticks all the boxes.
I am ready to be beaten up for this one
Thanks
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: February 3, 2025
