Excerpts of interview with Joe Igbokwe,A.P.C publicity secretary,Lagos State :


The national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, commended Ambode as a governor while castigating him for failing as a party man. How has the governor failed politically?

You know Asiwaju is the leader. I am just a servant for the party. But nobody is disputing the fact that Ambode has performed, but I think in the human angle of it, he failed in some areas. People feel that he does not take advice. Elders say he does not pick their calls or listen to suggestions, or once he makes up his mind on something, he goes into it. And these are the things; playing the real politics is the problem. For you to have democracy, people will have to live. You need all these people’s votes. If there is nobody visiting Lagos, there would be no politics. There would be no cars on the roads; nobody would drive them. There would be no movement anywhere because everywhere would be barren; you wouldn’t see anything. So, all politics is local.


In the place where I voted yesterday, one man was supposed to carry the banner of Ambode, while another person was to carry the banner of Sanwo-Olu. In that place where I voted — and I am being factual, before man and God nobody could carry Ambode’s banner to stand. When I am saying this, you think it is just playing politics. I begged one man, ‘Carry the banner, so we have this semblance of democracy’. I said, ‘Okay, if you don’t want your face to show, use the banner to cover your face’. This was in Itire-Ikate. That man queued up and voted for Sanwo-Olu and then went back to carry that banner (of Ambode). What does he want? That man cannot be made a commissioner. He cannot be made an adviser because he didn’t go to school. Anytime we would have elections in my ward or polling unit, they would have a carnival and we would cook for them. We celebrated like we were all poor; we would sit under the canopy and drink. We would vote and dance. These things are not happening any longer.


Sometimes, people would run to you and say, ‘I need money to pay my children’s school fees.’ These are things we were doing before; we can’t do that anymore because you can’t get anything from the system. I tell you that it’s difficult for me as the publicity secretary of the APC in this party. I was poorer in the past three years than what it used to be in the last 16 years. I am not saying I should be given all that we were given in the past, but at least, we played the politics. We listened to the people. We shared ideas and we gave people attention so they could talk to us. People feel happy when you relate to them, pay attention to details.


When you find yourself in power, you look to those downtrodden people. These are the people that matter; they are the people who vote. Big men don’t vote. Big men don’t go to polling booths. It is ordinary people that vote, especially women. With Gala and a bottle of Coke, they will vote for you and they will be happy. These things are nothing. That is somebody that will come out and stand in line for hours. Majority of the people that vote don’t have anything. If you empower somebody, who is a relation of somebody, a whole family has been empowered. All these things are just about playing the real politics. Politics is all about people, especially the downtrodden. You can’t dismiss that with a wave of the hand. But people complained — leaders, commissioners and special advisers and these things go to our leader every day.

https://punchng.com/ambode-doesnt-pick-apc-elders-calls-ignores-advice-igbokwe/

Who listen to this slave again.

As much as I’m not a fan of the incumbent governor, we can see the reason why there was the clamor for him to step aside.

All I can say is, if and when you decide to vote in A.P.C’s flag bearer (Lagos state) come 2019,you’re voting in a stooge,and except you don’t live in Lagos, you’ll reap what you’ve sown.

Confused Adult Zombie

graveyard story,
no one hears. no one respond.

He needs amala serving governor QED!

Nice insight. U can't abandon ur voting public. In d long or short run, u loose them

Too many zombies in the rank and file of APC

You are saying what we all know. Advice refused to share Lagos tax payers money for APC members

yorubakwe,a slave,your mate are building industry and empowering their kinsmen,in nnewi,you are here playing amala politics introduce by drug baron,slave is what you are and slave shall be

Same people that wanted to commit genocide just to put Ambode in office without challenge are now back fighting to remove him for failing them.

What does this tell you?
Allow people to choose their leaders freely. Don't let the opinion of one man or cabal to decide your fate and those of your generations.

That man or cabal are fighting for the future of their children and their generations, NOT YOURS!

This message is not for BMCs cos those ones are lost forever.

Sometimes, people would run to you and say, ‘I need money to pay my children’s school fees.’ These are things we were doing before; we can’t do that anymore because you can’t get anything from the system. I tell you that it’s difficult for me as the publicity secretary of the APC in this party. I was poorer in the past three years than what it used to be in the last 16 years.

For the above reason they rejected Ambode, but for the same reason and even worse they cant reject buhari...

How else can hypocrisy be explained? Or could this be confusion?

Simply put.. Ambode was removed because couldn't service stomach infastructurally .

Morbeta11:
Simply put.. Ambode was removed because couldn't service stomach infastructurally .

Greedy men everywhere.