Just days after denigrating Ambode, video emerges showing Tinubu praising him

A video showing All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu, praising former Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, as “a thinker and a doer” has re-emerged on social media.

In the video clip posted on Twitter by Daily Trust, Tinubu, while at an event in Lagos, thanked Ambode for his developmental strides in the state.

Checks by The PUNCH showed that Tinubu spoke while commissioning some projects in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the state on March 29, 2017.

Tinubu had said, “Akinwunmi Ambode, thank you very much. You will not be put to shame. Evil will befall those who wish you evil. You will not fall sick. That is a reflection of a very good governor, who sensibly is a thinker and a doer and when you combined the two –thinking and doing, there is no way you will not have development and progress.”

However, the relationship between the APC stalwart and Ambode severed during the politicking of the 2019 Governorship Election in Lagos. Ambode subsequently lost his re-election bid in 2019.

Though still a member of the party, Ambode has not been seen at any state function with Tinubu or his successor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

On Friday, Ambode was absent as Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and other politicians inaugurated the 1.4 kilometre-long Agege-Pen Cinema Bridge that he (Ambode) started in 2017.

At the event, Tinubu also said the ship of Lagos was heading in a wrong direction within 2017 and 2018 before Sanwo-Olu was elected in 2019. Ambode was the governor of Lagos between 2015 and 2019.

Tinubu said, “Sometime in 2017-2018, the ship of this state seemed to have headed in a very wrong direction. History had it that we came together, an election came and we chose a democratically-elected government of the people, our people, and for the people. They say ‘who is Babajide Sanwo-Olu’? We said, ‘you will find out’.

“Ever since Babajide became the captain of the ship of our state, he has turned it round to the right direction of progress, development, and good leadership quality. Both of you (Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat) and the entire cabinet have demonstrated unequal determination to redevelop and rebuild for the people of Lagos. You have made us see a fine and determined government for the progress and quality of life of our people.”

▪︎ Report by The Punch