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Lagos Governor Ambode had a meltdown on international television as the world held its breath. He could have avoided the press conference altogether.

Governor Ambode's meltdown on international television was embarrassing to watch | Pulse Nigeria

Jude Egbas

<h1>Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos is fighting for his life. Literally. The doors leading to a second term ticket are being</h1>

So, for Ambode, the next best way to hand himself a fighting chance was to hurriedly arrange <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/article8920224.ece" id="8ab9c530-13a6-5cb4-b1d3-2381de7cbb12">a world press conference</a> to, among other things, hurl unfounded allegations at his opponent for the Lagos APC ticket.

“Party leaders and even party members have been misled to understand that this is a better candidacy than myself”, Ambode said of Babajide Olushola Sanwoolu, who is now favorite to clinch the Lagos APC governorship ticket and who enjoys <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/tinubu-says-sanwo-olu-is-a-better-candidate-than-ambode-id8920420.html" id="6e8479f3-f212-5938-be8c-a3c55412edfa">the blessings of godfather</a>Bola Tinubu and other APC bigwigs in Lagos.

“This particular aspirant as you all know, you can go and check, the records are there. This is somebody that has been arrested for spending fake American Dollars in a night club in America and he's been detained for months with mugshots before all these campaign started.

“It's also known that he doesn't have the competence to do what he's been promoted for saying he is going to do, he doesn't have the competence to do what he is saying he can do. The records are there in this is somebody that has been rehabilitated before….”, Ambode snarled, palpable anger outlining his chubby face.

I was a guest on a ChannelsTV program as Ambode’s meltdown went from zero to hundred in an instant. And for a moment, some of us in the studio couldn’t bear to watch. Here was Ambode pulling no punches, taking the gloves off and sounding really pedestrian and petty on international television.

First, I have to say that the press conference was totally unnecessary and a waste of everybody’s time because it offered nothing new, save for the invectives hurled at Sanwoolu. Whatever Ambode said in the opening paragraphs of his presser could have been offered in a statement.

In the end, rather than hand himself a fighting chance ahead of the primary election, Ambode continued to dig his own grave. Rather than use the presser to endear himself to party delegates, Ambode gave these delegates one more reason to deprive him of a second term ticket.

It was a horrible and badly thought out press conference to convene from a political strategic point of view and it was a pathetic delivery to cap it all up. Ambode must now go ahead to fire the adviser who put him through Sunday’s embarrassing ordeal.

The only winner on a wet Sunday in Lagos was ironically Sanwoolu, the anointed candidate, who took the jabs thrown at him with dignity, equanimity, calm and poise and who <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/article8920667.ece" id="bee8d013-bc1c-5c3e-8773-a0bb30302aa9">promised not to head to the gutter with the governor.</a>

“I felt sad for Lagos as I watched the press conference by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Many things he said was beneath the dignity of our people and the exalted office he now holds. Perhaps the tension and anxiety of the moment got the better of him.

“If given a chance at cooler reflection of what he said, I am sure he would regret his descent into such low conduct”, Sanwoolu said, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips.

Ambode had one job on Sunday—make the press conference about him and keep delegates or Lagosians glued to his achievements. Instead he made it all about Sanwoolu. No one has depressed a self-destruct button with more flustered precision in recent times.

Governor Ambode's meltdown on international television was embarrassing to watch

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