inubu Vs Ambode: Afenifere speaks on how godfatherism is killing Lagos, what should be done

Yinka Odumakin

The Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Saturday lamented the issue of godfatherism in the political arena in Nigeria.

Spokesperson of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin in a chat with DAILY POST insisted that the issue of godfatherism was “killing Lagos State.”

Odumakin said this while reacting to the alleged face-off between the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu.

ollowing a reported relationship breakdown between Ambode and Tinubu, the latter was said to have anointed one Jide Sanwoolu as the next governor of the state.

Against this backdrop, the Vice Chairman of the APC in Lagos East Senatorial District, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, had recently disclosed that Tinubu instructed the 57 Local Council Chairmen in the state to work towards the emergence of Sanwonolu as the next governor of the state.

In line with Olusanya’s revelation, Sanwo-Olu defeated Ambode, a sitting governor at the party’s primary election last week.

Reacting to the intrigue that played out in Lagos State, Odumakin stressed that the state would have developed more than its current state, but for the issue of godfatherism.

He, however, warned that much progress can’t be made until the issue of godfatherism “is removed.”

Odumakin said, “The issue of vested interest and godfatherism has been destroying our country, everybody ones who knows Lagos will be aware that there is a lot of vested interest and godfatherism there.

“Everyone that knows Lagos will attest to the fact that the state would have developed more than what it is today but for vested interest and godfatherism.

“Despite raking in billions, the roads in Lagos are very bad, if you buy a brand new car in Lagos today you will change the shocks absorber in one year.

“Most areas in Lagos today don’t have pipe borne water to drink, most of the infrastructures in the state have collapsed.

“From 1999 till date, power has not changed hands in Lagos State, so it’s the issue of godfatherism that is killing Lagos.

“Looking at the fight between Tinubu and Ambode, have you heard of anything that has to do with the public? It’s all about the interest of the politicians and until we remove the issue of godfatherism, we will not make much progress.”