By Ibidapo Balogun

From the get-go, the writer, a supposed journalist for that matter, going by that known name, made it clear he was not a Governor Ambode’s person, signposting the danger that daily besieges the journalism profession when those required by the ethics of their noble profession to look at issues from a non-aligned, unbiased and dispassionate angle, now tell us openly who they are for or against. This is dismaying to journalism purists who constantly advocate that the profession and its practitioners be guided by the ethics of their work.
Now to the issue of direct primaries adopted to popular acclaim for the choice of Osun APC flag bearer because the generality of the party members are the electors in the process as opposed to delegates who usually turn themselves into mercenaries extorting money from the candidates at such election. Yes at the Lagos APC stakeholders’ meeting at ACME Road, Ikeja, Asiwaju Tinubu affirmed the direct primary option would be employed to pick candidates for election at all levels in Lagos. This was not targeted at anybody, not in the least Governor Ambode who also spoke at the meeting and equally embraced the option, knowing full well it can only galvanize the party members behind him.
The writer needs to be properly educated that the fact that incumbents may enjoy the option of first refusal does not mean they would not participate in primaries. President Buhari will most likely enjoy the option of first refusal in APC but this does not mean there would be no primaries.
The idea of direct primaries is not to shut out incumbents and certainly not Governor Ambode. The direct system can only help to give more legitimacy to the party’s candidature as it enjoys more popular participation and is akin to giving power to the party members and a test of the party’s strength before the real election.
Again, the impression that all is not well between Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Ambode is not correct. That is what the sponsors of the hired writer want people to believe. They are out to create a crisis situation in Lagos but that is not what obtains. It will not happen. The Governor enjoys the confidence of Asiwaju Tinubu who brought him in in 2015 when the naysayers like the writer and his sponsors were shouting blue murder and wanted to shoot down the same Ambode they now see as their good boy in a bid to get at Tinubu.
Truth is there is no problem in Lagos APC, definitely none between Asiwaju and Ambode. The primaries would come and the best candidate for the job that the governor represents will emerge to take the state to greater heights.