WHY MURI-OKUNOLA SHOULD WAIT

The purported move by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to replace the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu with Alhaji Hakeem Muri Okunola who is presently the Head of Service in Lagos, thereby restricting Sanwo-Olu’s administration to just one term, is a dangerous and unwise political move by the leadership of the party in Lagos.

This move is a patently perilous presumption that Lagos is safe for APC. For a fact the political stranglehold of APC on Lagos is fast loosening up, giving way to random movements of even former stalwarts and dependable allies. The Lagos 4 Lagos movement is an obvious example. Statistically, Lagos APC must be down to close to 55% of its former political strength. Of this low following there are those who on the surface are in but who, definitely do not wish the party well.

It is not news that leaders like former Govs Fashola, Ambode, and others like Muiz Banire are not completely in sinc with the party.

=Also the division and schism that the Presidential aspiration of the national leader of the party will still bring about is difficult to calculate or imagine.=
The obvious summation from all of the above is that Lagos APC is not sitting comfortably as far as being assured of victory is concerned. Therefore any attempt to destabilise the apple cart may cause the opposition to cart away the victory in Lagos.

True no man is indispensable, but unless extraordinary situations emerge it is unreasonable to dispense off a winning team.=
Muri-Okunola is politically a neophyte and a novice who is untested.
For him to ascend to his present exalted position of the head of service in this government, more than 20 senior officers had to be removed or displaced. It is administratively unwise and politically incorrect to disrupt the administration of Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu who has become the poster boy or the flagship of APC administration not just in Lagos but nationally.

The argument may be made that this same infamous act of the leadership of APC in Lagos was used to cut short Gov Ambode’s tenure and replaced him with Sanwo-Olu. Yes, this is true. But in fact it was wrong then and it is wrong still. If a political party prides itself in applying wrongful and unjust practices in selecting its principal officers, at one point that same act will become a painfully regrettable one.
Besides the very act itself is essentially a gamble. Like all gambling sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

Can the Lagos APC afford to gamble and lose in this season? =If for any reason the National leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu loses out of the Presidential race and Lagos is also lost to opposition, then it’s over for this generation of APC leaders and followers.

A word is enough for the wise. The dangerous suggestion that this unnecessary proposed change is for religious reasons should never be allowed to disrupt the unique and enviable unity and peaceful religious accord that has existed in the state and the entire South West from time immemorial.
We must in the interest of all perish this thought and focus on real issues that can never divide us.

The unassailable fact is that Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu is presently the best governor in the whole country, even across party lines.
He has made Lagos to be second to none in terms of projects execution and administrative performance.

Lagos deserves the best of the best and God has divinely provided this in person of this humble, unassuming and yet avidly assiduous man.
All Lagosians should come together to support this governor to do more.

– Biyi Samuel, Lagos