By Shola Oyeyipo
The Lagos State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress has taken over the structures of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), the platform that vigorously campaigned for former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Giving the hint at the weekend during the 2017 luncheon with Nigerians of Igbo extraction resident in his Surulere federal constituency 1 by the Leader, House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, the coordinator of TAN, Prince Eke Obi, vowed to deploy TAN platform for the APC in future elections.
Though Jonathan lost the re-election bid, TAN, by rallying the support of Igbo in Lagos for Jonathan, helped the PDP win six House of Representatives and state House of Assembly seats.
But while reassuring Gbajabiamila of TAN’s support for the APC, Obi said: “TAN is an NGO but during the last dispensation we were a bit political. But you must have heard that our principal (Dr. Ifeanyi Uba) has gone to the APC and we are all in the APC. I told him I was coming here and he said I should go and report back what happens to him.
“The TAN structure is still intact. You can now say boldly that TAN is for you. You know what TAN did in Lagos. Anytime you need us; whenever you need the TAN structure, I will surely deliver it to you.”
Notable Igbo leaders including Lagos lawyer and chairperson, Eastern Peoples Development Forum, Mr. Obuesi Philips, Chief Ubani Ebere, prominent member of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Guy Ikokuru and the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, all harped on the need for political alignment between the Igbo and their Yoruba counterparts in Lagos.
In his address, Gbajabiamila who said the Igbo have been supportive of his political ambitions in the Surulere axis of Lagos, expressed optimism that the cordiality will continue.
“I am in the House of Representatives for the fourth time. In my first, second, third and fourth election, Igbo stood with me. Despite running against an Igbo in my fourth election, Igbo stood with me,” he said.
According to the lawmaker, Nigeria being an heterogeneous society, would require that the people co-exist in peace, harmony and mutual understanding.
“God put us together for a reason. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba have their strengths. If we don’t align our strength together we will just be wandering. During the last election the Igbo people decided to show that not only do they have economic strength but also political strength,” he noted, stressing that if the APC had won the six seats won by the PDP, he would have had enough votes to attain the speakership.
