The endorsement, days ago, of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, a former civil servant in Lagos by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has generated more controversies than was expected resulting in a shaky ambition for the aspirant.
Oba Akiolu, during the launch of a book in honour of Ambode, took the microphone and announced that the elders in the state as well as traditional rulers had met, agreed and decided that Ambode was the best man to take over from Governor Babatunde Fashola, whose tenure ends in 2015.
He had also slammed the state Commissioner for Works, Obafemi Hamzat, another aspirant whose father is the traditional ruler of Ewekoro in Ogun State and publicly rejected him. Oba Akiolu had maintained that Hamzat cannot come all the way from Ewekoro to take over the government of the state.
Ambode, who the monarch claimed was from Epe, in Lagos East Senatorial District where the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoned the governorship candidacy to, has now been rejected by the family he allegedly pitched tents with.
The head of the Buraimo Edu family, which he claims to belong to, has said the family does not know him as one of them.
In a release signed by Alhaji M. Oladeinde Edu and Alhaji T. A. Edu, the family said Ambode is an Ilaje person from Ondo State and not from Epe as claimed by Oba Akiolu.
The family said the Baale Edu had 22 wives and 38 children and that Ambode was never part of them.
“At this juncture, we can categorically state here that in actual fact, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was a son of Festus Akinwale Ambode, one of the teachers posted to Epe in the old Western Region; a native of Ilaje Ese Odo in the present day Ondo State,” Edu family spokesmen said.
“As a school teacher, the elder Ambode was very familiar and friendly with several Epe indigenes. The older Ambode came to Epe through the waterways. He came with his wife, Christianah Oluleye Ambode (nee Oresanya), who though initially did not stay with him which made the older Ambode marry a second wife, an Epe daughter, popularly called ‘Iya Vice from Poka, Epe.
“She was a food seller in Epe Grammar School. This development led to Akinwunmi Ambode’s mother who also hails from Ilaje Ese Odo in Ondo State to eventually relocate to Epe to stay with her husband.”
The Edu family stressed that at death, the corpse of Ambode’s father was conveyed back to Ilaje, Ondo State for burial as a prince of his area.
In response, Ambode has directed those investigating his roots to royal fathers who have confirmed that he is not just from Epe but a member of the Edu family. He said the Olu of Epe; the Alara of Ara, who had been on the throne for the past 54 years had confirmed, with Akiolu, that he is from Epe.
But Huhuonline.com can report that the endorsement of Ambode by Oba Akiolu seems to have split the Lagos State Traditional Council apart as many of the traditional rulers are said to have denied ever endorsing Ambode.
Sources close to some of them told Huhuonline.com that the announcement of Oba Akiolu at the book launch had rattled them.
“At nowhere did the traditional rulers meet to endorse Ambode for 2015,” the source told Huhuonline.com.
“What happened that day was that Oba Akiolu, as the head of the traditional rulers, asked them to honour Ambode’s invitation to the event. They did not know what had transpired between the monarch and Ambode, but they are still in shock that a monarch of such stature could stoop low as to dabble in politics so openly.”
Meanwhile, a group, Eko Akete, in a broadcast text message, charged residents of the state to find out from Oba Akiolu how he knew that Ambode is from Epe, saying it has confirmed that Ambode is from Ilaje.
The group also accused Oba Akiolu of receiving huge amount from Ambode prior to the event for the sole purpose of making the announcement, describing him as a Ghana-must-go Oba and asking residents of the state to disregard him and his antics.
Sources close to the seat of power in Lagos State have also expressed Governor Fashola’s readiness to frustrate any move by Ambode to take over from him. According to the sources, Governor Fashola is not happy at the way the Oba took on Hamzat, his own loyalist, lashing him publicly.
“His Excellency has maintained that since the Oba could do that, he would also do everything possible to thwart any attempt to foist Ambode on the party,” one of the sources said.
However, despite these controversies, major APC chieftains including national leader of the part and former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have remained mum on the issue.
