As the search for the next person to occupy the exalted seat at the Lagos House Alausa, continues, wonders will continue to unfold. However, Lagosians are beginning to witness a new dimension to the already known wonders that usually surround the emergence of a governor.
Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, it is one week, one lie.
The latest of his lies is the syndicated story in some national dailies in which he alleged that consensus talks among APC governorship candidates in Lagos State have collapsed and all the aspirants, except him are now jittery. This is a lie taken too far; and Lagosians now have to know Ambode for who he is.
Last week, he lied that he had been endorsed by 34 members of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Recently, he was on the pages of newspapers, where he lied that the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives had endorsed him. Meanwhile, the caucus had only indulged him when he sought audience with them. It took a rejoinder from the lawmakers for the public to believe that no endorsement talks came up while the meeting lasted.
In the case of the Lagos Lawmakers, they, like the federal lawmakers, indulged Mr. Ambode when he asked to meet with them. The LAHA members (34 out of 40) honoured Ambode because he is a party member and an aspirant. The Deputy Speaker of the House who spoke on behalf of his colleagues was explicit when he spoke at the meeting.
His inclination to lie has become not just embarrassing but unpleasant, such that he has now been nicknamed ambowonder; a moniker for a man, who is ever ready to spin make-believe tales just to create the impression that the entire Lagos is in support of his illusionary ambition to govern Lagos.
As a party member, I understand very well that in the political terrain, a lot of strategies are permitted to sell one’s vision and personality to the people. But the ‘con-man in Sicily’ approach being employed by Akin Ambode, in order to get the support of every stakeholder that matters in the political spectrum of Lagos State and Lagosians in particular is very unpopular, deceitful and unhealthy as Lagosians only want a truthful Governor with the passion to serve the people.