28 Political Parties Speaks On Endorsing Sanwo-Olu In Lagos State

Ahead of the Lagos State governorship election, the political parties under the aegis of Coalition of Progressive Lagos Gubernatorial, CPLG, have denied withdrawing from the coalition and endorsing the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The Chairman of the group, Francis Ajayi, while speaking in Lagos stated that if a candidate intends to withdraw from the race they would have identified earlier.

In his statement, he claimed that those who portray themselves as governorship candidates are hired and are not candidates.

There were reports that 30 governorship candidates under the aegis of Forum of Governorship Candidates in Lagos State had on Wednesday endorsed Sanwo-Olu.

But, reacting, Ajayi said: “The Coalition of Progressive Lagos Gubernatorial in Lagos State strongly dissociates itself from the assertion that we have withdrawn from the race and have endorsed Sanwo-Olu.”

“It is not true; we are countering the alleged buying of some governorship candidates for the sum of N100, 000 each, to step down.”

“We are not for sale,’’ Ajayi said in a statement.”

Ajayi calls on the party in power not to play with the mandate of the peoples, he stated that the people had made their choices.

The group’s chairman challenged electorate to vote wisely for a `stitch in time saves nine.’

The governorship candidate of United Progressive Party, Chief Mike Okereke, told NAN that he could never collect such amount to withdraw from the Saturday’s race.

“The people who collected that money are not governorship candidates; they are members of various political parties who claimed to be contestants.”

“No governorship candidate like me who has spent his money to purchase a ticket for N3 million, printed posters and billboards will go and collect 100,000 to step down,” Okereke said.

Okereke stated that there are steps to follow if candidates intend to step down from the race.

He said: “if you want to organise governorship candidates to step down for you, you should do what other states did.”

“The candidates will come and take pictures with you, address the press, then they announce their endorsement and support for you, as was done in Port Harcourt, Benue and Anambra.”