Guber Primaries:Ambode Supporters Storm Tinubu's House In Protest

Some supporters of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday staged a protest at the Lagos secretariat of the All Progressives Congress over what they called the party’s plan to manipulate the governorship primary to favour Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protesters, numbering about 200, displayed placards expressing their displeasure with the electoral process.

Spokesperson for the protesters, Mr Daud Olasheu, alleged that the party leadership had compromised the process with the adoption of Sanwo-Olu, before the primary.

Olasheu, the deputy APC local government chairman in Somolu, alleged that the party was taking a number of other steps to ensure that Ambode did not win the election.

He said the protesters were sure that Lagos residents wanted the governor because of his administration’s strides, adding that he would win in a free and fair contest.

“We are here today to show solidarity with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode ahead of the primary and to say we are solidly behind him.

“We are also here to show our resentment over the partisan role the state APC leadership is playing in the process, especially with the endorsement of Mr Sanwo-Olu.

“We want to say the party leadership has already compromised the process before the primary.

“We do not believe in the Lagos process and we want the national leadership to do its best to make the primary credible,” he said.

Olasheu alleged that thousands of Ambode’s supporters were not issued the party’s membership cards to enable them to vote in the election.

According to him, the failure to issue the cards is a clear ploy to pave the way for the emergence of Sanwo-Olu.

He urged the National Working Committee of the party to take over the conduct of the state primary and make the process credible.

NAN reports that none of the state party officials addressed the protesters as they were busy meeting with NWC officials.

The protesters stayed till late evening while the meeting was ongoing, chanting solidarity songs in support of the governor.

In a related development,  another set of supporters of the Lagos governor were said to have held a peaceful demonstration in front of the residence of the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in Bourdillon, Ikoyi.

The supporters were said to have sang solidarity songs to show their loyalty to the incumbent governor.

It was gathered that while the demonstration lasted, policemen were deployed in Tinubu’s residence to serve as backup, as well as to ensure sanity.