Indigenes and residents of Epe and its neigbouring communities have threatened to dump the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State to register their disappointment over the truncated second term ambition of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, a son of the area.

Besides what they described as deliberate move to shortchange Epe by depriving Governor Ambode the opportunity to serve two terms like his predecessors, many residents who spoke to Sunday Sun expressed the
fear that the inability of the governor to secure a second term ticket was capable of truncating ongoing developmental efforts in Epe and the surrounding communities.

Ambode had penultimate weekend lost the ruling party’s ticket to re-contest in 2019 to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is believed to have had the backing of the party’s leadership in the state. The outcome of the governorship primary election thus put paid to the governor’s second term ambition.

A chieftain of the party in Epe who craved anonymity said people of the community were yet to recover from the reality of what he termed a gang-up against the governor, whom he described as a harbinger of progress and development to the community.

However, residents of Epe and its environs have vowed to protest their displeasure over the situation with many threatening to dump the party for other parties.

A community leader in the town, Chief Babatunde Hassan, told Sunday Sun that the decision to prevent Ambode’s second term was a vote against the development of Epe and its environs. “Since 1979 to 1983 when Jakande ruled the state, Epe has been deprived of dividends of good governance.

“Politicians have shown us that they were only interested in getting our votes after which they would desert us until it was time for another election. But with the coming of Ambode, we once again saw ourselves as being part of Lagos.

Another resident of Epe, Mr. Kehinde Olawale said the people of Epe would not be pacified by the deputy governor slot, a position he likened to a spare tyre in a car.

“We heard that they are now planning to field an Epe indigene as Sanwo-Olu’s running mate. I don’t see how that can benefit us in Epe because you and I know what the office of a deputy governor means in Nigeria of today.

•Excerpted from Sunday Sun report

Update news