HOW ACN FINALLY KILLED THE RUMOURS AND ENDORSED FASHOLA

THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) finally ended months of speculation over the second term ambition of the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), when it endorsed him as the party's sole candidate for the 2011 governorship election.

On Wednesday, at the party's secretariat, in Ikeja Lagos, Fashola's predecessor, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu who people perceived to be at the centre of the uncertainty over the political future of Fashola announced the decision of the party.

Before thousands of the party supporters, Tinubu, who flew into Lagos from Abuja because of the emergency stakeholders' meeting raised Fashola's hand and said: 'Today, by the power conferred on me by the ACN, in consultation and in agreement with all our party leaders throughout the state and at the national level, I am announcing to you, the final endorsement of Raji Babatunde Fashola for the 2011 election.'

He admitted that his action would put an end to all the sponsored rumours about the crisis between himself and the governor. He alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some disgruntled elements within the ACN were behind the rumor. 'They don't want the progress and development of the state,' he said.

Tinubu explained that the endorsement was based on the high and acceptable performance of Fashola in the last three and a half years, 'and there is no basis to change an instrument that is working perfectly.'

In the last couple of months, the issue of whether Fashola will contest a second term has dominated discussions in Lagos. The anxiety was heightened when the Lagos State House of Assembly led by the Speaker Ikuforiji Adeyemi returned a supplementary budget sent to it by the governor and there were rumours of an impeachment move. As the House asked the executive to explain some aspect of the budget, there were calls to probe the financial activities of the governor.

Ikuforiji was one of those said to be setting himself up for the job of governor having received the blessing of Tinubu. In his Epe Constituency, his constituents were already addressing him as 'His Excellency.'

But the Speaker, in one of his attempts to douse the anxiety had said that the House was not at loggerheads with Fashola and promised that the governor would get adequate support from the lawmakers.

In April last year a group called True Face of Lagos, led by Adeshina Adebayo asked the House of Assembly to probe Fashola based on a catalogue of allegations. Adebayo promised to tender documentary evidence to backup their claims before the ad-hoc committee of the House set up to investigate Fashola.

But a court injunction restrained the House from probing the Executive. The crisis was heaped on Tinubu as the brain behind activities of the group.

The rumours even thrived within the ACN in Lagos. The state chairman of the party, Chief Dele Ajomale was forced to call a press conference where he tried to dismiss some of the insinuations and rumours around the political future of Fashola.

Asked about the second term endorsement of Fashola, Ajomale had said, 'there is no automatic ticket for anybody including our governor. We are going to ensure that even our party members currently in the National Assembly come back to seek for new mandate.   There is no automatic mandate or ticket for anybody, I repeat. We have made it clear to all of them that they will seek for new mandate even our governor, Fashola. If you are good people will vote you.'

While answering to the same question at another forum, the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande said, 'I think the question of second term is for Fashola himself to answer. Whenever he picks the form, he will indicate what he wants to contest for and the party shall consider his nomination form along with those who are aspiring within the same range he wanted to contest. The outcome of the primaries will determine who emerges as candidate.'

The recent strike by the state doctors also added to the tension about the likely refusal of the party to give Fashola second term ticket. It was also rumored that Tinubu was the brain behind the strike purposely to discredit Fashola and make him unpopular.

Besides Ikuforiji, a member of the State Executive and Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, now the National Legal Adviser of ACN was also dubbed 'governor in the waiting.'  Banire however denied any chance of him replacing Fashola in 2011.

If there was any face off between Fashola and Tinubu, it was not evident on Wednesday when Tinubu talked to the party members. He said it was his honor to tell Nigerians who have given ACN support both in prayers and action that their prayers have been answered. 'It is my prayers too that your children will see and benefit in the development ACN will bring to Lagos.'

He said that Fashola had scored 85 per cent in the administration of Lagos. 'If I did not perform well, Fashola would not have achieved anything today. In 2007 when I picked him as my successor, the battle was tough for me. I insisted then among my colleagues that he is the best candidate in whom I have faith and confidence. Most of them kicked against it and today he has been able to build perfectly on the foundation I laid.

'Many people might be looking at the beauty of the buildings, the development of Lagos but they must also put into consideration the foundation I laid. I have, by the grace of God laid a solid foundation and Fashola has marvelously built on it. My belief is that his next four years will be better.'

Tinubu admitted that disputes were a constant factor in party politics. 'As long as it is politics and democracy, there will be misunderstanding, there will be arguments and different focus on issues but all those issues were settled under our roof. I nurtured Fashola like a child. He is now growing and doing well in my presence, there is no way I will be jealous of him as many rumored.'

Tinubu used the occasion to urge party supporters to take the voters' registration exercise serious. 'Your vote starts from the voters' registration. If you refuse to go out and register, there is no way you can vote, if you don't vote, the party's endorsement of Fashola is meaningless because candidates of other political parties are in the race for the governorship seat. This is the time for every one of us to settle our scores, encourage one another to go and register.'

He said ACN is going to make surprises in 2011 election both at the state and at the national level. 'Already we are making tremendous impact in the eastern and northern parts of the country. I have faith that our party will win the presidency in the next election because people are disenchanted with the PDP style of administration.'

Tinubu assured people of Osun State not to worry about recent rumours about a plan by the PDP to impeach Governor Rauf Aregbesola. 'I want to tell you that the plan was a dream conceived by the enemies of progress, enemies of the people of Osun and enemies the ACN, which is the PDP. Their dream will never come to pass.'

Ajomale described Tinubu and Fashola as Abraham and Isaac. 'They had both done great things in Lagos and the impact of their performance is obvious. Their achievements in government are now reference points in every part of Nigeria and beyond the boarder of the country,' he said

To him, PDP must be voted out of government this year. 'We must collectively rescue this country from the grip of the PDP. For us to allow PDP to rule Nigeria for another four years will simply mean mortgaging the future of coming generations. The damage done to our economy, social lives and the image of Nigeria among the comity of nations are so much that we should all join hands to chase the bad administration of PDP out in the next election.'

He said it would not be possible for anybody to rig the next election in Lagos if the electorate stood by their votes and do everything to defend it.  'It is true that we made some miscalculations in the recent bye-election conducted at Ikorodu where PDP won. But I want to assure you that we will bounce back. We have made up for the loss because a member of the PDP in the Lagos House of Assembly recently defected to ACN.'

Reacting to the endorsement, a member of the G-14 in ACN, Cardinal James Odumbaku said the endorsement of Fashola was a good idea. 'It has eventually put to rest all the rumours flying across the country that Tinubu and Fashola were at loggerheads. Our party is ready to move the country forward. The evidence could be seen in what Fashola and other ACN governors were doing in their various states.

'The endorsement has finally put an end to the ambition of PDP in the state. The PDP had been hoping to capitalise on the rumoured crisis between Fashola and Tinubu to win the governorship election.'

Fashola said his endorsement is an opportunity to continue the great work that he inherited from Tinubu and to continue to serve the people of Lagos. He said the people are the strength and power of the party. 'Without you people, ACN mean nothing. You are our strength, our power and our master. We are in government to serve you and serve you in the best manner.'

The governor also urged Nigerians not to sit behind during the coming election. He said: 'We must not sit behind during the general election. We have a goal and the goal is to vote for the right party, ACN. Our party has no other business than to serve you and build a nation that will guarantee your future and that of your children.'