In this interview with ENIOLAAKINKUOTU, the Publicity Secretary ofthe All Progressives Congress 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,nthe 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.

Aaaaaaa ffiiiiiiii Ciiiiiiii

Demmzy15:

Mr man, you too fast ooooo

Mc4larin:



Mr man, you too fast ooooo

I see wetin u do for your Amaechi thread na!!

Demmzy15:
I see wetin u do for your Amaechi thread na!!