BY Taiwo George
Akinwunmi Ambode, governor-elect of Lagos state, has paid a courtesy visit to the Iga Idunganran palace of Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos.
Akiolu, who endorsed the gubernatorial ambition of Ambode even before the governor-elect made his decision to run for office public, drew the ire of Lagosians when he attempted to force prominent Igbo leaders in the state to vote Ambode.
During a meeting with Igbo leaders in Lagos, the monarch openly threatened those who intended going against his choice.
“On Saturday, if anyone of you, I swear in the name of God, goes against my wish that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos state, the person is going to die inside this water,” he had said.
“I’m not ready to beg you. Nobody knew how I picked Ambode. Jimi {the PDP gubernatorial candidate} is my blood relation and I told him that he cannot be governor in Lagos for now. The future belongs to God. I am not begging anybody, but what you people cannot do in Onitsha, Aba or anywhere, don’t do it here.”
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Bola Tinubu, subsequently distanced themselves from Akiolu’s threat, saying he spoke for himself rather than for the party.
The issue created controversy and was perceived as capable of reducing the APC candidate’s chances in the election, which was then a few days ahead.
But Ambode defeated Agbaje by a considerable margin, polling 811, 994 votes while his opponent had 659, 788.
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