By Emmanuel Aziken, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Ebun Sessou & Monsuru Olowoopejo

LAGOS—THE supremacy battle between Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and his opponents within the All Progressives Congress, APC, escalated yesterday after an agreement with state legislators for the governor to present the 2019 budget proposal fell through at the last minute.

Ambode

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The governor was stopped from presenting the 2019 fiscal proposals after members of the Lagos State House of Assembly took an about turn yesterday morning and dissolved into a closed door session even after the advanced team of the governor had arrived.

Allegations and counter allegations

A source close to the governor told Vanguard yesterday that Mr. Ambode was ready to present the budget but was denied access by the legislators.

However, a member of the House of Assembly told Vanguard that the governor was playing on the intelligence of the legislators. “He knows what to do and we are waiting for him to follow the correct process,” the legislator said.

Mr. Ambode became the first governor of the state to be denied the re-election ticket of his party since the advent of the Fourth Republic. His second term bid was opposed by many of the party mainstream including the legislators. Behind the opposition to the governor was the General Advisory Council, GAC, the body of party grandees led by the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Botched budget

Efforts to present the 2019 budget proposals had been stalled since the ending of last year over yet undisclosed sundry issues.

Sources disclosed that an agreement had been worked out for the governor to present the budget yesterday.

Reporters had as such besieged the premises of the Lagos State House of Assembly early, yesterday, in anticipation of the governor’s presentation.

However, drama ensued after the officials of the House turned back reporters from the assembly.

Vanguard gathered that around 1.30 p.m. yesterday that the assembly moved into a closed session during which the speaker, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa beckoned on the clerk if there was any communication from the governor.

The clerk, a source present, said responded in the negative.

The present budget faceoff, according to some sources, flows from a bid to frustrate the governor from accessing financial capacity to fight back against the party during the forthcoming General Election by supporting the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Other sources say that the lawmakers are also determined to humiliate the governor by not allowing him to complete what Mr. Ambode had in the past said as his legacy projects.

Among the legacy projects is the massive multibillion naira Oshodi bus interchange.

PDP connection

Speculations continue to fly around the Lagos political establishment that the governor could do a last minute swing against his party in support of the opposition PDP.

The continuing rumour is despite persisting assertions by Mr. Ambode of his fidelity to the APC. Governor Ambode who was appointed a member of the APC Southwest Reconciliation Committee even went to the extent of urging party members in Lagos to reconcile with one another saying that he had let bygones be bygones.

The Lagos State chapter of the PDP, however, denies any collaboration with the outgoing governor.

Spokesman of the party in the state, Mr. Gani Taofik said yesterday:

“That is not true; the rumour is just to hang an innocent man. As the spokesman of the party I will be happy to announce support for the governor. He only lost his second term bid because of the interest to satisfy the interest of their national leader and all that they are doing is giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.

“We do not have any resource support from him,” Mr. Gani said yesterday.

Lagos APC keeps mum

Spokesman of the APC in Lagos, Mr. Joe Igbokwe did not respond to several calls yesterday.

Meanwhile, an aide of the governor said: “The Governor is ready to formally present the Lagos 2019 budget before the Assembly, and that’s why we are here on ground but they would not give any access let alone attend to us. This is a sad development for the state.”

The governor’s aides, who loitered around the legislative complex for most of the day, eventually left the premises around 5.30 p.m. following disclosures that the House had adjourned till Monday, January 28.

Ambode had sent the budget to the assembly on Friday, December 28, 2019 with a letter promising to get in contact with them for clarification on any issue.

The Assembly which was expected to reconvene on Monday, 7th, 2019 to address the issue, adjourned sitting to January 10th, when it could not form the statutory quorum.