The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has told Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, that his position on the race for the governor’s seat in Lagos cannot be changed again, The Eagle Online has been told.
Tinubu and Ambode met on Friday in Abuja at a fence mending meeting.
The meeting, which had just two of them in attendance, according to sources privy to it, was as a result of the perceived backing of Tinubu for two other candidates for the seat being sought by Ambode for a second term.
One of Tinubu’s closest proteges, Jide Sanwoolu, and another ally of the former Lagos State Governor, Dr. Femi Hamzat, had last week purchased the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms of the APC for the governorship race.
What made the disagreement within the APC more glaring was the open support of local government chairmen and members of the Mandate Group for Sanwoolu.
The two groups were at the official declaration of Sanwoolu.
At Friday’s meeting, Asiwaju Tinubu was said to have told Governor Ambode to go and slug it out with Hamzat and Sanwoolu at the party’s primaries.
So also did he insist that since the Lagos State chapter of the party had opted for direct primaries as proposed by the national leadership of the APC, Ambode should also go and prepare for it.
The direct primaries involves all party members, whereas the indirect primaries involves only appointed and elected representatives of the party.
For the indirect primaries, all members of the holding appointed positions, including commissioners and advisers, and elected representatives, including local government chairmen, are eligible to vote.
The fear within Ambode’s camp is that Tinubu holds the ace when it comes to direct primaries, hence the fear that the governor will lose the primaries.
Tinubu was however said to have insisted that Ambode should go face the electorate as he would not tell any of Hamzat and Sanwoolu to step down for him.
A source told The Eagle Online: “Asiwaju’s position remains the same: Governor Ambode should go and test his popularity.
“He has gone too far on this journey than to back down now.
“That could be his undoing politically if he does.
“The next four years could see his demystification if he backs down.”
However, sources have told The Eagle Online that the national leadership of the party, especially President Muhammadu Buhari, have decided to intervene in the face-off between Tinubu and Ambode.
President Buhari is expected to meet with them before the weekend is over.
A source close to Ambode also told The Eagle Online: “Don’t worry, they are talking.
“Virtually everyone is intervening.
“And I am sure Asiwaju as a listening leader will consider their plea.”
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
