During an interactive session, Lagos APC governorship candidate, Jide Sanwo-Olu, explained why you won't see his white beards on campaign posters any longer.
The online community had an interactive session with APC Lagos governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday, November 6, 2018; and everything was up for discussion including the politician’s white beard or ‘goatee’, if you would.
Yeah, it was a weird session.
“Sir, I don’t like your cap. I think you need to do away with it…while driving through Lagos
earlier, ironically, my friend and I chatted about how unhealthy you look in some campaign
posters. You need to do better with branding. Some of your pictures make you look like
you are ill. And the white beard doesn’t look good on you…”, one journalist fired at
Sanwo-Olu without flinching.
The venue of this meeting was a cream coloured, two-storey apartment in upscale Ikoyi
that was draped in a full length Sanwo-Olu campaign banner. Outside, stern looking,
muscular and hefty security personnel screened everyone and everything in sight, while
roaming their eyes around for miscreants or street urchins with an agenda.
Sanwo-Olu treated the observation concerning his campaign posters and looks with studied
silence, nodded, chuckled and rubbed his chin with a smirk.
“That’s why I am now clean shaven. No more white beards!” he announced to general laughter
from his audience. And then he touched his trademark cap, rubbed his chin and chuckled some
more.
“No, please there’s nothing wrong with your cap. It looks good on you!”, a few members of this
audience protested, telling the journalist who made the observation that he got that one wrong.
Again, Sanwo-Olu touched his cap and muttered. “Okay, I think I will leave the cap. As for the
campaign posters and my not looking healthy in photographs, that means the branding and PR
team present here now have their work cut out for them”.
He was laughing, chuckling and making eye contact with everyone the whole time; and he was
visibly enjoying himself in this spacious room filled with no nonsense newshounds waiting to pick
him apart.
Days before the APC governorship primary election in Lagos, incumbent Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode accused Sanwo-Olu of spraying fake dollars at a night club in the United States and
checking into a Rehab to ostensibly deal with a long standing drug problem.
Sanwo-Olu, Ambode said during a stuttering spell at that infamous world press conference, was
unfit to occupy the exalted office of Governor of Lagos State with its over 20 million inhabitants.
It was a subject that came up for discourse during this interactive session with the APC candidate
What does he make of Ambode’s allegations?
“You know it’s politics season and everything is fair game. And I respect the office of the Governor
of Lagos State. Because of the respect I have for that office and for Governor Ambode, I chose
not to respond to the baseless allegations at the time and I won’t be responding now. It was called
a world press conference. But you would agree with me that the governor didn’t need a world
press conference to make the allegations or to marshal some of the points he made. He could
easily have sent everything to you guys as a press statement…..” Sanwo-Olu said.
When it came to discussing his plans and proposed policies for Lagos, Sanwo-Olu came across
as though he’s had it all figured out since he won the party ticket on October 2, 2018. He was
articulate and profound all at once.
Sanwo-Olu spoke about how he will tackle the problem of flooding by de-silting a Lagos that lies
below sea level, how he will tackle over-population by cooperating with neighbouring Southwest
States and APC governors to develop their regions so that folks can migrate there even if they
work in Lagos, his free Wi-Fi project in public places, getting local governments to fix inner city
roads in order to combat an endemic traffic challenge, and reviving the moribund asphalt
companies in Lagos so that roads can be maintained all year round.
I know Lagos so well because I have spent more than 15 years serving Lagos in various
capacities since Nigeria’s return to democracy. I know Ajangbadi, I know Okokomaiko, I know
Igando and Ikorodu. I will develop the mainland as I would the mainland. I know what the Lagos
masterplan entails because I made inputs into the document. We will make Lagos work again and
for all. I promise you that we will always listen and take feedback on board when I become
governor”, he said in a calmer, more measured, authoritative tone.
The interactive session ended with Sanwo-Olu posing for photographs and selfies with bloggers
and a sprinkling of party supporters.
Outside, traffic was lighter in the gleaming street lights of Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.
“Sanwo-Eko!” one of those intimidating bouncers hollered into the still air to no one in particular,
his biceps heaving with every scream, as I hurriedly downed my coffee, revved the engine and
disappeared into the night.
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