In this interview with ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, the
Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic
Party in Lagos State, Mr. Taofik Gani, talks about
the party’s attempts to upturn the victory of
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, among other
issues
The Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal
has reaffirmed Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode’s victory at the poll. Doesn’t this
mean that the All Progressives Congress
truly won the election?
We see the ruling of the tribunal as a miscarriage
of justice. It is at variance with the law because
even the prayers of the petitioner and the
defendant were left out only for the panel to bring
up an action saying that the PDP ought to have
requested for a re-election which was not part of
our prayers. Our prayer was that we should be
declared the winner of the election because
Ambode was not validly nominated by his party
as the notice of the primary given to the
Independent National Electoral Commission did
not meet the deadline. So, it is our intention to
challenge this at the Appeal Court and we are
optimistic that the court will upturn the ruling and
that is why we are telling the people of Lagos to
be patient as their mandate will soon be returned
to them.
But does the PDP have evidence that the
APC rigged the governorship election?
There is no doubt that the PDP won that election
but the APC used its power of incumbency to
manipulate the election. The APC has also been
known to manipulate the judiciary. It is a known
fact. We believe that the APC will go the extra mile
to deny us our mandate but we will fight them to
a logical conclusion. We are also considering
petitioning the National Judicial Council over the
manner in which the panel handled our case. It is
not within the power of any court to have made
that ruling.
How do you see the administration of
Governor Ambode?
Well, the Lagos State chapter of the PDP wants to
state categorically that there is no difference
between Ambode and his predecessor, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola. Fortunately for Ambode, he
has the opportunity to put his name in the good
books of the people. We believe that Ambode has
the opportunity to perform but so far, he has
failed to do some things that we expected him to
do within the first week so that the people will
know that change has come.
For instance, he has failed to take a stance on the
reopening of the Lagos State University. Also,
there are so many obnoxious laws which he is
supposed to have immediately repealed. The
issue of commercial motorcyclists, popularly
called ‘okada’ riders, should be addressed in a
humane manner. Although we concede that it
may not be right for motorcyclists to ride on
some roads, they must also be considered
because they rely on this job to sustain their
families.
We also expect Ambode to look into the welfare
of the civil servants who are working but
suffering in silence. So, we believe that Ambode
is slow and is already failing so early.
How true is the allegation that some of
your supporters are being maltreated by
the APC-led state government?
We are already accustomed to that. We have
always been in the opposition in Lagos and have
always suffered victimisation. Now that the APC
are in control of the Federal Government, we
have been put in a more precarious situation but
we are trying to wriggle out of this because
Nigeria is still a nation of laws. Presently,
however, there is a deliberate attack on a set of
people, especially the non-indigenes in Lagos
who were believed to have supported the PDP in
the last elections. So, they are being attacked
physically and psychologically and this is wrong.
Governor Ambode cannot say it is only the
Yoruba that voted for him.
You accused the state government of
demolishing Igbo-dominated markets but
the government has since denied this,
stating that you were merely seeking
attention.
It is unfortunate that Governor Ambode wants to
continue with the era of Fashola where obvious
mistakes were denied and diversionary attempts
were made. It is a fact that before the election of
Governor Ambode, the traders in the Ladipo Auto
Spare Parts Market were told to either support the
APC or risk their shops being demolished. We
have this information on good authority. So, they
are just making good their threats. It is
unfortunate that the Mushin Local Government
chairman is denying it now but we have video
and audio evidence of this demolition. It was
done illegally to ostracise the Igbo. We have told
the traders to report this government to the
International Criminal Court.
But the state government says the
reconstruction is in line with the Lagos
megacity plan and the traders agreed to it.
What the state government has done is unfair
and it is unjust because this was the same
government that promulgated the rent law which
states that a tenant is entitled to a statutory notice
before any drastic action can be taken. But the
traders did not even know until the day that their
shops were demolished. This is not politics but
the simple truth. Ambode should know that
power is transient and if he does not soft-pedal,
he might become the first governor in Lagos to
witness a rebellion.
What’s your take on the SURE-P crisis in
Lagos?
There was never a time that the PDP recruited
people into the so-called SURE-P task force. There
is a Federal Government SURE-P which the state
government cannot deny because they also
benefitted from the money.
Unfortunately, however, some people fell into the
hands of fraudsters who capitalised on the
desperation of some unemployed youths but we
are on the ground trying to help them recover
their monies. We are aware that the APC
leadership has hijacked the situation and are using
it to blackmail us. Unfortunately, some members
of the PDP were among the perpetrators but we
have not been able to confirm that. But I can
confirm to you that the PDP has no hand in the
SURE-P task force.
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