Nobody likes you. You are only liked for what you bring to the table. In politics, your likability is tied to the value of your office or the worth of your pocket. And in Governor Ambode’s case, your relevance, sometimes, is tethered to the whim of a godfather.
What is happening to Ambode, whom even his deputy has rejected, should be a lesson to all. A few months ago, he was the candy of everyone – both Bola Tinubu and members of the APC in Lagos state. But soon after he had a nasty brush with his godfather, he hit nadir; he became the most “incompetent and arrogant” public officer in the country.
It is shocking how people, who had expended praises effusively on Ambode for the work he was supposedly doing in Lagos, did a volte-face the moment Tinubu withdrew his mighty hand from him. Fake people everywhere! No honour, no loyalty, and no principle.
One thing is certain; the sudden revulsion was not effectuated by Ambode’s performance or style of governance. Though Tinubu claimed he deviated from the “blueprint of enlightened governance”, the question, is governance in the state now measured by the APC leader’s standards or blueprint? Is he now the World Bank, which measures good governance in developing countries?
Even if Ambode has not done a good job in Lagos, President Buhari has not done better for the country either, but Tinubu has not written an epistle excoriating him on how he has deviated from “enlightened governance”.
It appears the current kerfuffle at the “centre of excellence” is all about primitive acquisition and control of state resources. It also seems like a tug of big egos.
To me, Lagos state has become the Anambra state of the early 2000s, when Chris Uba was at the crescendo of Machiavellianism. No doubt, Tinubu shares an umbilical cord with the notorious Uba. He has become to Lagos state what Uba was to Anambra state.
Sadly, despite years of experiment, politics has not matured in Lagos state. The state is still stunted politically. A state, where one man has called the shots for nearly two decades, is still politically puerile. And that his excesses are accommodated says much about the people.
But in all, Ambode knew what he was getting into when he received the sanctification of his godfather in 2014. He danced the reggae, now he must face the blues.
Fredrick is a media personality.
