Akiolu insists on Ambode as next governor

Since Oba Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos openly endorsed Akinwunmi Ambode  four months ago as the anointed governorship candidate there have been misgivings about the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in the state as the monarch does not seem perturbed about public outcry against his political partisanship and favoritism.

As if coming out unrestrained to present and endorse one candidate out of many qualified candidates in a public gathering is not enough insult on the sensibility of the people, the campaign has been stepped up as posters and banners are conspicuously displayed in Lagos Island to echo and affirm Oba Akiolu’s strong interest in seeing Ambode become the next Lagos state governor regardless of the people’s democratic power.

It is however surprising that despite Lagosians condemnation of the action, which tends to usurp the rights of the people, the monarch and those he referred as to as “elders of Lagos” are hell bent to impose Akinwunmi Ambode on Lagosians in 2015.

However, a number of the state elders, royal families have criticized the monarch’s action. Even Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is presumed to be the brain behind the endorsement effortlessly exonerated himself when he dismissed the allegation that he was planning to impose Ambode on the people.

The Oba had anointed Ambode in May on the ground that he won’t like to see a prince of a town in Ogun state become Lagos state governor. That was when Kadiri Hamzat was in the picture. But now that we have the likes of Gbenga Ashafa, Dr. Leke Pitan, Senator Ganiyu Solomon and others whose Lagos credentials are not contaminated what would be the monarch’s excuse for singling out Ambode out of the rest qualified Lagosian?

Elections is few months away and there is already a one-man party endorsing its candidate  while the bigger party is yet to conduct primary to determine the party flag bearer in the elections. Lagosians are waiting to see the will that will prevail giving the fact that the people  already are fed up with inordinate imposition of political representatives on them. Who then will laugh last, the people or the monarch?