The Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) has sent a petition to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole, over the endorsement of his opponent in the forthcoming governorship primary by the party leadership in the state.

The Chairman of the group, Mr Akeem Sulaimon, made this known at a rally on Sunday in Lagos to mobilise support for the second term bid of Ambode.

Sulaimon said the action of the state Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, and members of the Governorship Advisory Council (GAC) endorsing an aspirant as candidate of the party was a violation of the party’s constitution.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the GAC, which is the highest decision making organ in Lagos APC, has endorsed Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu, Ambode’s challenger in the forthcoming primary.

Sen. Anthony Adefuye, a member of the council, announced the endorsement to party members on Saturday, at a stakeholders’ meeting at the ACME Road state party secretariat.

A third aspirant who was in the race, Olufemi Hamzat, stepped down on Saturday, and backed Sanwo-Olu, who is Managing Director, Lagos State Development and Property Corporation.

Sulaimon, who is also the special Adviser to Ambode on Communities and Communications, said that the support group could not fathom why the second term bid of the governor was being hindered.

He said current events had shown that the leadership of the state executive had been compromised and therefore could not produce an unbiased primary election.

Sulaimon appealed to members to go out en masse on Monday in their various Local Government Areas to vote for Gov. Ambode unintimidated at the primary.

NAN reports that members of the group, at the rally, pledged support for the governor, expressing confidence that his performance had endeared him to many Lagosians.

The members and supporters, clad in shirts and other materials implying their support for Ambode, took a walk from Maryland to Freedom Park, Ojota.

They sang in support of the governor, chanting reasons why he deserved the right to be allowed to run for a second term in office. (NAN)