As crises continue to rock Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday said it is ready to welcome him into the fold and field him as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2019 election.
The State Chairman of the party, Chief Babatunde Daramola, said this while speaking to journalists during the celebration of the 58th Independence anniversary of Nigeria at its party Secretariat.
National Chairman of the party, Mr Ralph Oke Nwosu, had earlier in the day led other members of the party in the State for what he tagged as handshakes across the Niger as he and others moved around the streets in the area to have a handshake with residents.
Nwosu, who said this was not only meant to commemorate the nation’s independence, but also to demonstrate the fact that love of our neighbours was what Nigerians needed to solve the numerous problems facing the country and which approach the ADC was to adopt if voted into office, come 2019.
This was just as he carpeted the President Muhammdu Buhari-led Federal Government for what he called lack of direction, lamenting that adding the country had not achieved much after 58 years of independence.
Chief Babatunde expressed joy with the press conference addressed on Sunday by Governor Ambode over the crisis in the APC, adding: “We thank Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for what is happening in Lagos State APC.”
According to him, “Revolution normally starts from within. We have a cabal that is ruling Lagos State in the APC. This cabal consists of just five people, but I will not mention names. So, it is good that Governor Ambode is fighting them.
“The cabal has stifled Ambode to the throat. Residents of Lagos State should support him. We will welcome Ambode to our party if he decides to cross over, but we will not give him an automatic ticket, he will have to compete with other aspirants for the governorship ticket.”
On the 58th Independence of Nigeria, Daramola said that it was shameful that the country had not moved forward over the years, adding that though the country had enough resources, it had the problem of leadership.
He stressed that what the nation needed was restructuring, saying that its structure was defective and that the people must claim their rights now.
“We need restructuring and we should use our resources for development purposes. We are celebrating 58 years of independence with nothing to show for it whereas countries such as Singapore and Indonesia that got independence at the same time with us are no longer regarded as developing, they are now called developed countries.
“I was in Vietnam five years ago and I felt like crying with the level of development there. There is nothing to write home about in Nigeria. Agriculture and petroleum industries are zero. We now buy fuel at N145 per litre.
“I used to earn N17,000 per annum many years back and I was able to buy a brand new Santana car and I had a driver. If you earn N1million per month in Nigeria today, even your one year salary cannot buy a new car,” he said.
The pharmacist-turned-politician stated that Nigeria moved from one colonialism to another as he said that her leaders were not different from the colonial masters,” he said.
He continued: “Policemen guard our politicians and leaders just as constables were guiding colonial masters in those days. Women and youths should wake up and fight for their rights.
“We are not calling for violent revolution. With civil revolution, they can be part of the decision making in the country. People cannot have three square meals in Nigeria now because of poverty.”
