Will Tinubu Glance at Ambode This Year? 

Time is a precious thing that looks abundant one minute and is gone in the next. President Bola Tinubu entered Aso Rock with appointments blazing, distinguishing allies from antagonists by those whose names were listed in his book of appointments. Having gone on this long and not including names such as Akinwunmi Ambode, questions arise as to whether the former Lagos governor has a chance at an appointment in this new year.

It’s been a while since President Tinubu took over from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. During the era of the latter, appointments into the ruling class were rare, often occurring only when a resident power-holder messed up too obviously. Tinubu has shown that he is not the same, being very generous. But he has not yet assigned any position to his former godson, Ambode.

Ambode, as a former governor of Lagos, has the needed experience to man an agency. Men of lower qualifications and exposure are doing so already. This has caused some people to wonder if Ambode remains unlisted in Tinubu’s appointment books because of old tales of perceived disrespect and disloyalty. But Tinubu has shown time and again that he does not hold grudges.

As readers would recall, Ambode’s gubernatorial adventure came to a sharp end in 2019, heralding the emergence of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the current Lagos state governor. During his time, Ambode did some work, finding and continuing the legacy of his godfather, Tinubu. But matters of power and self-importance arose and Ambode lost Tinubu’s protection.

Although the matters between them were eventually settled just before Tinubu emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, it had gone on for too long. This inspired observers to imagine that Ambode would hope for Tinubu’s failure in the presidential polls. But he did not. So, there shouldn’t be issues from that angle, right?

Yet, the frequency of Tinubu’s appointments has significantly reduced, leaving Ambode’s fans unsettled. Will the president continue to overlook his former godson or remember the good old days?