By Adeleye Adeyemi
The Lagos chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC has reacted to the public endorsement of the Labour Party candidate, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour for the March 18 governorship election in state by the Yoruba Socio-cultural Group Afenifere as dead on arrival.
Afenifere and a group which called itself the Committee of Indigenes of Lagos State had on Wednesday, declared support for Rhodes-Vivour in the governorship election billed for March 18.
But in reaction, the secretary of APC in Lagos, Mr Seye Oladejo in a statement on Thursday, said that the group’s endorsement of Rhodes-Vivour was allegedly borne out of envy and bitterness.
“Our attention has been drawn to a laughable charade called the endorsement of the Labour Party’s Lagos state governorship candidate by the factional leader of Afenifere, Chief Supo Shonibare.
“We will ordinarily have ignored this non-event but it will be a disservice to the general public if the records are not set straight.
“The so called endorsement by a group of attention seeking and politically irrelevant group of people is ominous as they have consistently backed the wrong horse out of malice, envy , bitterness and political frustration.
“Our political history is replete with many victims who lost elections as a result of the backing of these people who lack electoral value.
“The most recent was the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi who’s now facing the reality of their valueless support,” Oladejo said.
The APC’s spokesman lamented that it was difficult for the group to acknowledge ‘the landmark achievements of the incumbent governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu across the famed THEMES agenda.”
He said that the group sacrificed on the altar of bitter politics, Sanwo-Olu’s proactiveness during the scourge of COVID-19, the inauguration of the light blue rail and Imota Rice Mill and massive construction of roads across the state.
Oladejo also listed Sanwo-Olu’s achievement to include huge investments in education, healthcare, the environment, transportation, entertainment, youth and social development, women empowerment sports, tourism, science and technology.
“Thankfully, Lagosians who are the ultimate deciders know better,” he added.
According to him, Afenifere’s recommendation of a candidate whose pedigree, antecedent and political experience is shrouded in mystery is dead on arrival.
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AYO/CHOM
