The Nation-Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the attacks on his successor, Mr. Babatunde
Fashola. He remains proud of Fashola and will never be part of any part
of any process to bring him down, he said yesterday.
Tinubu, in a statement by his media office yesterday, said Fashola would be victorious in the end.
He said the immediate past governor contributed immensely to the development of Lagos.
The statement reads: “The past elections
were an epic confrontation between two opposing political camps. Those
who believed in the progressive governance of the people gathered under
the banner of the APC. Those who hearkened to the conservative elitism
that had cast this nation downward for so many years.
“The elections clearly showed the
preference of the average Nigerian. They chose the APC and rejected the
PDP nationally and in Lagos State. Since the commanding victory of the
APC in Lagos and all over Nigeria, the enemies of progressive governance
have cleverly been at work, trying to regain through intrigue and
subterfuge what they so openly and fairly lost in the elections.
“Our political opponents now try to steal victory when their only entitlement is resounding defeat.
“Having fared woefully with the
electorate, their game plan is to sow discord within the ranks of the
party people had chosen to lead them. The PDP hopes to strike division
in the APC, in that way weakening us and our ability to govern.
“Apprised of their wiles, we in the
progressive camp must be wiser still. We must not allow ourselves to be
pawns in this cynical strategy. We cannot fall into their obvious snares
for that would be embracing defeat when victory has already been won.
It is our responsibility to govern as the people want. It would be to
our detriment to fall victim to our opponent’s sly instigations by
allowing ourselves to be utensils picking each other apart.
“This brings me to recent developments
in the Lagos political scene. Born of this motley stew is the recent
gossip mongering that I have wilfully instigated false and negative
reports against former Governor Fashola to thwart him from being
appointed to a major post in the Buhari administration. I want to
declare clearly and categorically that these rancid attacks do not come
from me nor do I endorse them. Neither my hand nor my heart is in these
mean submissions. I deplore them. An attack against the performance of
Governor Fashola is indirectly an attack against me and the edifice of
achievements we have constructed in leading Lagos State out of a
protracted time of stagnation and into an era of sustained progress and
development.
“Lagos is a much better place than when
we came into governance in 1999. Each year, it has gotten better. With
the APC at the helm, each subsequent year will be better yet. Babatunde
Fashola has been an integral part of this improvement. He does not
deserve the pillory. His record has been applauded and will continue to
be when all this rumour mongering has died natural and quick death.
“I am proud to say that I played an
instrumental role in bringing Governor Fashola into politics in the
first instance. He served as my trusted chief of staff, performing
excellently in that role. Due to his leadership qualities and diligent
work ethic, I endorsed him for governor notwithstanding the stiff and
vocal opposition of many. I am not ashamed of backing him. I believe the
progress the state made under his administration has more than
vindicated my endorsement.
“Fashola, the present Governor Akin
Ambode including myself are the products of a progressive political
institution and its programmatic expressions. I laid the governance
foundation and started the first lap, running as well as I could. I
handed the baton to Fashola, knowing he would do the same. He did; he
ran as well as he could. Now, he has handed to Ambode who is off and
running as well as he can. We have achieved much in Lagos; but, we
recognise as much as anyone that we have much more to do.
“We also know that progress is fragile
and easily undone while destruction is easily transacted but hard to
undo. I for one I’m not the type to tear down my own house or to bring
my enemy’s rubbish into it.
“We must remember something. We have
always governed Lagos state as an open forum where democracy and free
expression were respected. Those who are against us were never placed in
fear of the heavy hand of government descending on them even as they
played funny tricks. We also must remember than in any democracy, a
number of people will always oppose you no matter the quality of your
performance. If an office holder has an approval rating of 70 per cent,
this means, in Lagos, roughly five million people dislike the person.
Also remember the PDP is just recently out of office at the federal
level and that it built a vast, unprecedented financial war chest to
contest the elections. The residual of that war chest is still at work,
buying media space to plant rumours in hopes of spreading discord
through the APC. Thus, the enemy camp may be a minority but it is a
large and well-funded one that knows its only chance lies in us
attacking each other.
“I for one will not bend to the
artificial provocation of those seeking to tear at what we have
painstakingly built over the years. In my mind, Governor Fashola and I
are and shall always be political allies and fellow travelers on a vital
journey; that alliance is unshakeable and our journey must not be
interrupted. I would no more attack his character or his administration
than I would attack myself.
“I see this present moment as crucial to
Nigeria’s future. The nation faces acute challenges of security,
corruption and economic development. Our task is to create policies that
bring prosperity, dignity and hope to all. Great change is in reach
because we have progressive governments at the federal and state levels
for the first time. With great change at hand, it would be a terrible
abdication of our duty to allow agents provocateur to prompt us to
suspect and toss dirt at each other at a time when we should be focused
on building a better, more equitable nation and society.
“I for one shall never allow myself to
be a tool of a political enemy that has nothing good in mind for
Nigeria. I for one will never engage in the intramural character attacks
of which I am being accused. I stand for the unity of the APC and for
the progressive purpose we serve. I will not be guilty of tearing down
our progressive house, not a brick of it. That I vow to all.”
Comments
Post a Comment