We’ll rule Lagos for 35 more years – APC

In this interview with ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, the Publicity
Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos
State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, talks about political issues in
the state

The Peoples Democratic Party has described as
fraudulent, the court ruling which reaffirmed Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode’s victory at the poll. Is it true that
your party bribed the judiciary?
Did the PDP have any evidence to present before the
tribunal in the first place? Are they saying they won the
election? Are they newcomers in Lagos? Were they
even on the ground in the first place? Yes, they worked
hard to win Lagos with the Subsidy Reinvestment and
Empowerment Programme fraud which they used in
manipulating unemployed youths. Money was extorted
from the youths and they are worse off today. We saw
the PDP using an outlawed organisation like the Oodua
People’s Congress, among others. We saw them tearing
our posters and damaging billboards. We saw their
contestants in Alimosho and Agege brandishing guns
and shooting. This was their hard work.
We saw the money that former President Goodluck
Jonathan brought to Lagos when he relocated here
briefly before the elections. He gave out dollars and
pounds. So, these were the things they did to win
Lagos. Politics goes beyond this. Lagos PDP thought
Jonathan would win and after winning, they would use
soldiers and the police to intimidate us and chase us
out but when Jonathan lost, even my kinsmen, who
were supporting the PDP before, started running to
Bourdillon (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s home). So, the PDP
is not being truthful. If Jonathan had won that election,
the OPC would have taken over. God, in his infinite
mercies, helped us. Now, the PDP has lost Abuja and
has also lost Lagos and that is why they are throwing
tantrums.
We in the Lagos APC are even angry that the PDP came
so close to defeating us in the last election but we will
never allow this again. We will rule them for the next 30
to 35 years because the people of Lagos will be
impressed with our hard work.

The PDP says Governor Ambode has already started
going after its supporters, especially the traders in
Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market.
That is not true. Ambode is a Christian and he does not
have that kind of character. He never demolished the
market. We in the Igbo Conscience Group will hold a
meeting with the traders and the Chairman of the
Mushin Local Government Council. It is a local
government matter and the traders had had an
agreement with the local government to rebuild the
market. Agreements were made and a Memorandum of
Understanding was signed and the traders had been
given ample notice. The market needs a facelift because
it is an eyesore. Apart from the warehouses inside the
market, there are wooden structures outside the
market. Is that the kind of place where you want your
customers from Europe to visit? The government wants
the market to conform to the megacity project. So, the
government did not illegally demolish anything.
When we went to the market to campaign, they threw
water sachets at us and that market belongs to the
government. That market is originally meant to be a
health centre and if the government wanted to follow
the law to the letter, it would demolish the entire
market and make it a health centre but we do not repay
evil with evil. There is no plan to make life difficult for
the people because they did not vote for us. So, I urge
my people in the market to stop playing politics with
this matter. This is a megacity and the market must
conform to the required standard.

Over a month after his inauguration, Ambode has not
appointed commissioners and the PDP has accused
him of being slow.
Many governors across the federation have not
appointed commissioners. Even the President has not
appointed ministers. So, why the rush when we have
permanent secretaries that can sustain government
ministries? Commissioners are just political heads.
They don’t sign cheques. They only meet with the
governor for briefings and act as a link between the
ministries and the governor. Ambode is energetic and
experienced. He has been everywhere. So, whoever says
he is not working is just being economical with the
truth. The PDP has never ruled Lagos before and that is
why they don’t understand it.

The APC had said that if Lagos and the Federal
Government were controlled by the same party, there
would be unprecedented change. Now that there is a
crisis in the party due to the National Assembly issue,
will the party be able to deliver on its numerous
promises in Lagos?
Problems are part of life. What happens in everyday
business depends on what you do in the morning.
Would you expect the PDP to go down without a fight?
We knew that the PDP would try to pull us down. But
we will overcome what is happening at the National
Assembly. How can a member of the APC sell out his
party for the Senate Presidency? How could he collude
with our enemies? Of course, we will not allow him get
away with such shenanigans? We will not allow it to
stand. So, we believe it is right that we get things right
from the outset. So, we are trying to deal with this
challenge. Once Senator Bukola Saraki and Ike
Ekweremadu are out, we will be able to get things
running and Lagos will definitely benefit from the
Federal Government. It is good for Lagos to be aligned
with the centre because it needs special attention. It is
the place where 80 per cent of tertiary institution
graduates from across the country come to.