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Why I want to be governor of Lagos – Sanwo-Olu

By Dennis Erezi
12 September 2018   |   3:15 pm
An aspirant in the governorship race of Lagos State under the ruling All Progressives Congress, Jide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, said he has what it takes to contribute more to the development of the state. It had been rumoured in the past few weeks that all was not well between the incumbent governor of Lagos Akinwunmi…

An aspirant in the governorship race of Lagos State under the ruling All Progressives Congress, Jide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, said he has what it takes to contribute more to the development of the state.

It had been rumoured in the past few weeks that all was not well between the incumbent governor of Lagos Akinwunmi Ambode and national leader of APC Bola Tinubu. The speculations also said Sanwo-Olu has the backing of Tinubu to deny Ambode a second term during the party’s primaries.

Sanwo-Olu, while addressing journalists at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after submitting his nomination form in Abuja, said his decision to contest the party’s ticket was not just because he has the backing of Bola Tinubu.

“There is no doubt that things would be said here and there. A man that is standing in front of you, fully grown-man with several years of experience. Like I said, it is about the Lagos of our dream, it is about the Lagos we want to take to the next level,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“I think it has nothing to do with our leader (Tinubu) and there is no denying that he’s our national leader. And he takes back position not only in the state but in the national and you know he has interest in the well-being and improvement in Nigeria’s dream.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed he will formally declare his intention to run for the office of Lagos governor when he returns to the state.

“I will be making a formal declaration speech when I get back to Lagos State but I just want to show you that I am here today.”

The former commissioner for three ministries in Lagos said his 15 years of experience in the public sector and 11 years in the private sector qualifies him to be governor of Lagos state.

“So, I have a wide range of experience and I have a dream to obviously contribute a lot more. As a Lagosian and son of the soil,”

“But why especially is to give my number of years’ experience, the pedigree from the private sector and from the public sector and I think it is appropriate for me now when people of Not-too-young are with us and put that aspiration in place.”

“I will just be able to let our people get to where they know that governance is all about people, it is about what we expect, it is about what will go back to them, improve the course of life, course of security and there are lot of other things we are going to be rolling out.”

“But the most important thing is, I am in front of you, this is who I am, this is what I have come to express to you and Lagos, certainly will be a better place to live for all us.”

He noted that his entrance into the race was raising a lot of discussions was because he was one of those who redefined Lagos State.

“You know, the blueprint we had been looking at since 1999, some of us put it together. So, it is not an offence, no doubt about that, it is politics and this era we are into right now.

“But the truth about the matter is, what has been generated is a reflection of how people have come to understand the person I am. A whole lot of us have to redefine the Lagos project.

On reported endorsement by 57 local government chairmen in the state, he said he was not aware of the endorsement.
“I am in Abuja now, certainly I don’t know what is happening in Lagos now, to be fair to me. You are in the media, you have access to information I don’t even have.

“But in terms of endorsement, it is a work in progress. People have been asking questions, people are yet to know the kind of person I am.

“Soon, whoever emerges is the best, it will be very preemptive of me to stand before you and say I have been supported by 57 people, that means I am going to sleep. Mandate Group is my people, we are in the same family and we will continue to work together,” Sanwo-Olu said.

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