A mother of all wars is brewing between Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos
and his godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over who flies the APC
gubernatorial ticket in Lagos in 2015.
Up until last week when Tinubu brought his gavel down to
single-handedly zone the governorship of the ruling APC to Lagos East
Senatorial District, Fasola had done all that was within his
gubernatorial powers to lobby his godfather to accept his choice of
successor in his Works Commissioner, Mr Toyin Amzat.
A source close to the duo that Tinubu played along with Fashola over a
period of time for his economic benefits: โThe fox in Asiwaju used
Fasholaโs desire to have Amzat as governor to milk him dry. Fashola
was pumping a lot of resources to him that his closest aides started
talking of โreparationsโ season.
โ He added that this also created a lot of problem for Tinubu amongst
his kitchen cabinet who felt that their master had sold them out: โHis
inner core who had supported him against Fasola from the โTrue Face of
Lagosโ days became disillusioned when they discovered on their own the
volume of money Fashola was transferring to Asiwajuโ he added.
The Governor thinking he already had Tinubu on board started
projecting Amzat as the next governor as the latter began to acquire a
lot of visibility. But the declaration last week at Lagos APC
stakeholders meeting that he has zoned the slot to Lagos East has put
paid to all that as Amzat is from Lagos West. And with that decision,
Tinubu has confirmed what has been in the political rumour mill that
the former Accountant-General of the State, Akin Ambode is his
preferred candidate.
Tinubu played a fast one on Fashola when he asked the Ambode to resign
as Accountant General of the State: โFashola was taken aback with
Ambode resignation and got in touch with Tinubu who was abroad to
prevail on him to stay on but the owner of the game told him to let
him go.โ
Though a lot of groups are springing up to oppose Tinubuโs decisions
to zone the governorship, Fahola has been playing along with a
strategic move to hit Tinubu back in the area of his own ambition to
be the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the APC.
A few weeks ago, the Governor was in Benin to subtly urge the Edo
State Governor, Adams Oshiomole to run for the presidential ticket of
the party with a promise to support him: โTinubu and Fashola are
perfecting their strategies to outdo each other.
The daggers are resting for now but they will soon be drawn and
political blood will flow. Although Tinubu is scared of Fasholaโs war
chest but his life depends on this battle and he will roll out all his
arsenalsโ said NP source.
