BOLA AHMED TINUBU THE GOD OF BOURDILON’S ORDAINED CANDIDATE FOR THE ALAUSA HOUSE COME MARCH 2, 2019
By Obumneme Joseph
Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu the Gubernatorial candidate under the platform of All Progressive Congress was born on June 25, 1965 in Lagos to a seasoned Christian Family. The serial surveyor will be contesting against the third time Lagos State guber candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Jimi Agbaje in the March coming gubernatorial election. Sanwo-Olu joined the Lagos gubernatorial race on September 10, 2018. He emerged the winner of the October 3, 2018 APC gubernatorial primaries, defeating the incumbent Governor, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode who lost the favour of the party elites. He’s happily married with four kids. Sanwo-Olu is married to Dr. (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.
Education:
Most of Sanwo-Olu’s education was in Lagos. He graduated from the prestigious University of Lagos, where he studied and obtained his BSc in Surveying. He proceeded to acquire his Master’s degree shortly after bagging his BSc at University of Lagos and duly obtained his MBA in Surveying. He obtained his degree in Business Administration from the Lagos Business School. He also attended Business School in London, where he bagged his MBA. As a corporate guru who knows the importance of governance, he enrolled at the United States’ Kennedy Institute of Government. He was aptly trained in the area of government adminstration and civil responsibilities.
Banking Career.
Sanwo-Olu had an outstanding Banking career. His banking experience spanned well over a decade. He took up several roles and served in various capacities in three top commercial banks in Nigeria. He was the treasurer at former Lead Merchant Bank from 1994 to 1997 after which he moved to the United Bank for Africa as the Head of Foreign Money Market. He proceeded to First Inland Bank, Plc now First City Monument Bank as a deputy general manager and Divisional Head. He was the chairman of Baywatch Group Limited, July 2011-;. Managing Director/CEO Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, 2016-;. Fund and Audit Committee of Caverton Offshore Service Group, Plc. After about a decade at the top of the Nigerian banking sector, Sanwo-Olu decided to opt for a career transition, with the aim of infiltrating other private and public sectors.
Sanwo-Olu’s Public Sector/Political Career
Sanwo-Olu’s outstanding public and political achievements has stood out to be his major highlights in his campaign to occupy the highest political office of the commercial nerve center of West Africa. He began his political career in 2003, when he was appointed a Special Adviser on Corporate Matters to the then Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro. He was later made the acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget until 2007, when he became the for Commerce and Industry by then Governor, Ahmed Tinubu. Babajide. Sanwo-Olu was appointed Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions after the 2007 gubernatorial election by the winner, Governor Babatunde Fashola. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2016 made Sanwo-Olu the Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC).
As emphasized above, from 2003 to date, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has been involved in the core operations and governance of Lagos State. He, however, has worked successfully for two past governor’s, Tinubu and Fashola. He’s faced with a more challenging ordeal in his quest to oust the incumbent governor whom he has worked under and in same political party to go all out to challenge Jimi Agbaje on March 2, 2019 for the Alausa House.
The fiercely APC gubernatorial primary between Sanwo-Olu and the incumbent Governor Ambode tends to be the major battle for the Lagos State’s governorship throne. This political permutation is been informed largely by APC being the Ruling Party at both the state and national levels, Sanwo-Olu being the winner stands a higher chance of emerging as the governor of the state come March 2, 2019.
However, few days before the primary election when the handwriting on the wall was glaringly obvious that the god of Bourdilon and other APC big wigs has wheeled their support to Sanwo-Olu, Ambode held a world live press conference, where he launched some scathing attacks and accusations at his supposed enemy Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He alleged that, Sanwo-Olu was arrested in United States, for spending fake dollar bills. The governor also claimed that Sanwo-Olu is mentally unstable and unfit for the office. However, Sanwo-Olu dismissed all the allegations levelled against him by Ambode as untrue.
However, Ambode after the party primaries reconciliatory programs declared his full support for Sanwo-Olu. And has been on the forefront to ensure that Sanwo-Olu is been returned elected come March.
Sanwo-Olu in his campaign promised to run an inclusive government which to the party elites was the sin Ambode committed that costed him his second tenure. He promised to give room to the Youths in his government and promised to address the gridlock traffic challenges in thr state if emerge as the governor.
A first timer in Lagos State doesn’t need to be politically inclined to appreciate the sonorous publicity of Sanwo-Olu’s campaign groups as there’s barely any route in the city of Lagos void of billboards and posters nor any social media timeline that haven’t been soaked and filled with Vote Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for the governor of Lagos State.
Is imperative to appreciate Sanwo-Olu’s free medical treatment, Volunteer App and other campaigning structures which the astute business administrator has reeled out to galvanize and preach the gospel of his Manifestoes to every Lagosians far and near. His publicity is overwhelming to say the least.
Though Jimi Agaje’s campaign and sensitization is waxing stronger as one of his mandate is to deliver Lagosians from the shackles of godgatherism one tends to ask with Ambode’s support as an incumbent governor, federal might as an APC state and the backing of the Lagos State political godfather, Ahmed Tinubu does Jimi Agaje stands to give Sanwo-Olu a run for his life come March 2, 2019?
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