in this interview with ENIOLA AKINKUOTU Publicity Secretary of the All ProgressivesCongress in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, talks
about political issues in the state
The Peoples Democratic Party has described as
fraudulent, the court ruling which reaffirmed
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s victory at the
poll. Is it true that your party bribed the
judiciary?
Did the PDP have any evidence to present
before the tribunal in the first place? Are they
saying they won the election? Are they
newcomers in Lagos? Were they even on the
ground in the first place? Yes, they worked
hard to win Lagos with the Subsidy
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme
fraud which they used in manipulating
unemployed youths.
Money was extorted from the youths and they
are worse off today.
We saw the PDP using an outlawed
organisation like the Oodua People’s Congress,
among others. We saw them tearing our
posters and damaging billboards.
We saw their contestants in Alimosho and
Agege brandishing guns and shooting. This
was their hard work.
We saw the money that former President
Goodluck Jonathan brought to Lagos when he
relocated here briefly before the elections. He
gave out dollars and pounds.
So, these were the things they did to win
Lagos. Politics goes beyond this. Lagos PDP
thought Jonathan would win and after
winning, they would use soldiers and the
police to intimidate us and chase us out but
when Jonathan lost, even my kinsmen, who
were supporting the PDP before, started
running to Bourdillon (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s
home).
So, the PDP is not being truthful. If Jonathan
had won that election, the OPC would have
taken over. God, in his infinite mercies,
helped us. Now, the PDP has lost Abuja and
has also lost Lagos and that is why they are
throwing tantrums.
We in the Lagos APC are even angry that the
PDP came so close to defeating us in the last
election but we will never allow this again. We
will rule them for the next 30 to 35 years
because the people of Lagos will be impressed
with our hard work.
The PDP says Governor Ambode has already
started going after its supporters, especially the
traders in Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market.
That is not true. Ambode is a Christian and he
does not have that kind of character. He never
demolished the market.
We in the Igbo Conscience Group will hold a
meeting with the traders and the Chairman of
the Mushin Local Government Council.
It is a local government matter and the
traders had had an agreement with the local
government to rebuild the market.
Agreements were made and a Memorandum
of Understanding was signed and the traders
had been given ample notice.
The market needs a facelift because it is an
eyesore.
Apart from the warehouses inside the market,
there are wooden structures outside the
market. Is that the kind of place where you
want your customers from Europe to visit?
The government wants the market to conform
to the megacity project.
So, the government did not illegally demolish
anything.
When we went to the market to campaign,
they threw water sachets at us and that market
belongs to the government.
That market is originally meant to be a health
centre and if the government wanted to follow
the law to the letter, it would demolish the
entire market and make it a health centre but
we do not repay evil with evil.
There is no plan to make life difficult for the
people because they did not vote for us.
So, I urge my people in the market to stop
playing politics with this matter. This is a
megacity and the market must conform to the
required standard.
Over a month after his inauguration, Ambode has
not appointed commissioners and the PDP has
accused him of being slow.
Many governors across the federation have
not appointed commissioners. Even the
President has not appointed ministers.
So, why the rush when we have permanent
secretaries that can sustain government
ministries? Commissioners are just political
heads.
They don’t sign cheques. They only meet with
the governor for briefings and act as a link
between the ministries and the governor.
Ambode is energetic and experienced. He has
been everywhere.
So, whoever says he is not working is just
being economical with the truth. The PDP has
never ruled Lagos before and that is why they
don’t understand it.
The APC had said that if Lagos and the Federal
Government were controlled by the same party,
there would be unprecedented change. Now that
there is a crisis in the party due to the National
Assembly issue, will the party be able to deliver
on its numerous promises in Lagos?
Problems are part of life. What happens in
everyday business depends on what you do in
the morning.
Would you expect the PDP to go down without
a fight? We knew that the PDP would try to
pull us down.
But we will overcome what is happening at
the National Assembly.
How can a member of the APC sell out his
party for the Senate Presidency? How could he
collude with our enemies? Of course, we will
not allow him get away with such
shenanigans? We will not allow it to stand.
So, we believe it is right that we get things
right from the outset. So, we are trying to deal
with this challenge.
Once Senator Bukola Saraki and Ike
Ekweremadu are out, we will be able to get
things running and Lagos will definitely
benefit from the Federal Government.
It is good for Lagos to be aligned with the
centre because it needs special attention.
It is the place where 80 per cent of tertiary
institution graduates from across the country
come to.