Ambode pleads with Lagosians for vote on April 11

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Akinwunmi Ambode, has urged the people of the state to vote for the APC on April 11 as Lagos will do better if it is in the same party with the Federal Government.

In a separate interview with our correspondent, the APC Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, said Lagos had been cheated of Federal Government projects like the 4th Mainland Bridge and the long-delayed light rail project.

He added that if APC controlled both Lagos and the Federal Government, the projects would immediately take off.

Ambode said in a statement on Wednesday that the people of Lagos should vote against the Peoples Democratic Party just as they did on Saturday.

He said Lagosians should remember that it was the PDP-led Federal Government that withheld Lagos State allocation for over 15 months and refused to release the funds even after the Supreme Court ordered the Federal Government to release the funds.

The former Accountant General of Lagos State said it was his efforts, coupled with those of former Governor Bola Tinubu, that ensured that Lagos Internally Generated Revenue grew to N20bn from N400m.

He said, “The people of Lagos will recall the way the PDP Federal Government ‘punished’ Lagos for creating the 37 Local Council Development Areas by withholding the allocation due to the state.

“It was the ingenuity of the crack team of experts, of which I was privileged to be a member, set up by the then Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that led to the development of the template on which Lagos, not only survived, but expanded the IGR. The IGR has since grown from a paltry N400m to over N20bn.

“The task of governance is not for wishful thinkers and verbose speakers but for thinkers, strategists and tacticians. I want to plead with the people of Lagos not to gamble with our future. This is not the time for trial and error.

“The people of Lagos must continue on the path of excellence, which the APC represents. Lagosians must vote for continuity on April 11.

“By the grace of God, I believe that if the people of Lagos give me this opportunity, I shall serve with sincerity, integrity and all the talents the Almighty has endowed me with.”