Battle to succeed Fashola begins online

As the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State gradually inches towards its end, some politicians eyeing his office have started making moves to succeed him, ahead of the 2015 general election.

Online findings by iPUNCH on Wednesday showed that no fewer than three aspirants have since registered their presence on major social networking sites, basically to position themselves for the governorship election.

Some of the governorship candidates who have suddenly fallen in love with the social media included Akinwunmi Ambode, who is believed to be planning to contest in the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Apart from Ambode who signed up for Twitter on February 28, a former Lagos State governorship aspirant, Jimi Agbaje, who contested for the same position under the Democratic People’s Alliance in 2007 has also taken to the new media to promote his ambition.

Another prominent aspirant subtly appealing to the youths on social media in furtherance of his political ambition is Babatunde Gbadamosi.

Gbadamosi is not just a prolific user of the new media; he has been visible and active on Twitter since 2009.

A visit to the Twitter page of the three aspirants showed that they have actively begun to engage their followers on issues ranging from housing and education to efficient transportation network.

Ambode, who described himself via his Twitter handle as an astute accountant, administrator and public finance expert, stated that his experience as a retired civil servant (he claims to have served the Lagos State Government “meritoriously” for 27 years) would boost his ambition.

So far, the retired civil servant’s presence on new media has earned him a sizeable number of fans online. In fact, he boasts a combined following of over 5,500 people on Facebook and Twitter since he joined new media club.

Periodically he asks his followers about the sectors of the economy that the residents of Lagos anticipate change in governance.

In a message posted on his Twitter page, Ambode promised never to bring disgrace to Lagos State, if elected governor in 2015.

“I have found true leaders through observations in the course of my career. They help you build your art of selfless service. We must, wherever we find ourselves, create an atmosphere of selfless service. I believe that great leaders dare to be different. Where are you looking to anticipate change?” Ambode, who is the Managing Director of Brandsmith Cosulting, tweeted.

Although Agbaje’s website, jimiagbaje.com, is still under construction, his Twitter handle is active in terms of propagating his ideals for a better Lagos.

A message on Agbaje’s Twitter page stated that he would soon be rolling out details on how his teeming fans can join his campaign team across the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Areas of the state.

He has also been sharing pictures of his consultations with community leaders and other key stakeholders in the state on his Twitter page.

Also, Agbaje has not hidden his desire to win the hearts of youths in the state with a view to ensuring victory at the polls. He stated that he sees every youth as an ambassador, adding that they must all be productive and be properly engaged in the business of governance.

He tweeted, “The meaning of ‘Lagosian’ to Jimi Agbaje is that every individual, irrespective of status, indigenes and non-indigenes alike, is law abiding. All Lagosians are valuable to us and so, serving their interests is our core mandate. The time has come for you to shine. Youths are not just leaders of tomorrow, you are leaders every day. Let us do it together it begins now. To ensure our victory at the 2015 polls, I urge you all to carry the good news and message of true change to every corner of Lagos.”

With the hashtag, #LagosReloaded, Gbadamosi, on his part, has been having conversations on Twitter with his followers – about a thousand of them – in a bid to outwit other aspirants.

Gbadamosi who describes himself as a loyalist of the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, in his latest chat with his fans boasted that when elected, he would redirect resources from “vanity projects” into productive endeavours.

“I have a name, built over three generations and two centuries, to protect. I must deliver. I consider Lagos to be in a skills emergency, so we will be upgrading schools and tweaking curricula to improve education.

“I promise more schools, more educators, across the state and across levels, including adult education. On tertiary education, we would be reducing the fees to N20, 000 as the maximum. I attended the Lagos State University and I can’t allow other people to suffer,” he said.