By Rasaq Adebayo
In the next few hours, Lagosians and especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) members and supporters are set to go into jubilation as they expect their governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to be officially declared winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Though the result of the election is yet to be officially announced by the Commission, indications from the results recorded in the polling units across Lagos State have indicated the victory of the ruling party.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is leading with a landslide over his contenders in the election. The tension in the party was suppressed when the results started coming in in favor of the party on Saturday from various polling units. Initially, the result of the presidential election which favored the Labour Party in Lagos had put the ruling party on its toe to re-strategize on winning tips hence, it changed its campaign dimension and embarked on massive consultation.
Election
Although Saturday’s election was postponed to Sunday in 10 killing units in the Victoria Garden City (VGC) around the Lekki area of the state due to a hoodlum threat to disrupt the exercise as announced by Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Segun Agbaje, it was observed that the exercise was peaceful in the state.
Agbaje made the announcement when he addressed reporters at the VGC, corps members deployed as the ad-hoc staff was hesitant to enter the estate as they alleged that they were held hostage in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
According to Agbaje, voting materials were set up in front of the estate on Saturday but the estate residents claimed that hoodlums might disrupt the process, so they did not feel secure and could not cast their votes.
The INEC Commissioner explained that he was in the area alongside his team because the situation was difficult for security agents to contain.
Apart from a few areas where minor violence was reported, our correspondent who monitored the election across the state on Saturday said the exercise was peaceful, without complaints by voters. The INEC officials were on the ground as early as 7:30 am with their materials in many polling units, commenced the exercise early, and also concluded on time.
APC’s campaign strategy
While the 15 canvases in each ward continued with their job in their various places, the governor also embarked on wide consultation, meeting people one on one in their various locations.
Governor Sanwo-Olu met businessmen and women in Lagos and visited churches to canvas for their support for his re-election while reassuring the stakeholders of the state’s commitment to growth. He also met with the victims of the Akere Market fire incident with huge financial support to ease their suffering.
The governor donated N100 million to traders in the burnt Akere Motor Parts and Allied Dealers Association (AMPADA) market in the Ajegunle area of the State.
He also laid the foundation for a new market building.
Speaking during his visit to the burnt site of the Akere market, Sanwo-Olu said the efforts by the Lagos State Government were to help alleviate the plight of the traders who lost goods and cash in the fire when the market got burnt.
He said: “A week or less ago we promised to come back here to give immediate support to the people who were affected by the unfortunate incident. This is not politics, it is just a coincidence that it is a political season.
“I am happy to be here to lay the foundation for the new market building. Now it is a story building and a small compensation that will alleviate the suffering and loss of our traders here. It is for us to make a clear stand that we are not about ethnic or religious division. We are a government that is people-centered and working to make things better for them, no matter what party or where they come from.
“As long as they are law-abiding, keep to laws guiding the environment, and respect the heritage of where they do business, they will always be accommodated.
“This will also send a clear message to people who want to divide us that we won’t let a small number disunite a large number of people. We won’t give them a space in Lagos and our government.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu also urged Lagos residents to come out and vote massively for him on Saturday, noting that the 18 percent vote cast during the presidential election is not a good representation of the Lagos population.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, Hon. Fatai Ayoola thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for keeping to his promise of helping the people.
He promised that the people in the council would reciprocate the good gesture by voting for Governor Sanwo-Olu during Saturday’s governorship poll.
He said: “True to your word you are here today in Ajegunle to compensate the marketers for their loss and also lay the foundation for their new market. We thank you and wish that your efforts will be rewarded in Saturday’s election.
“We assure you that in Ajegunle we will do all within the ambit of the law to canvass for you because you have done so much for us. You rebuilt the Obafon and Mbakadoso roads. You also help us build Maracana Stadium for our youths.
“We are grateful and we would forever remain grateful for your stewardship and leadership that you have shown to the true people of Ajegunle.”
Also speaking, the Market Chairman, Mr. Izuchukwu Uba, assured Governor Sanwo-Olu of the trader’s support in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
Traders at the market thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for the good gesture promising to come out en masse on Saturday to vote for him and all APC candidates.
Political observers said the traders jeot to their promise which they said led to Sanwo-Oku’s victory at the Saturday poll.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, also campaigned for Sanwo-Olu, calling on Lagos residents to re-elect the Governor on Saturday.
Fayose who was joined by Governor Sanwo-Olu at the local wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport spoke to taxi drivers at the airports and urged them to come out in large numbers and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the March 18 governorship poll.
“Sanwo-Olu is our candidate. Let us all come out on Saturday to re-elect him,” Fayose urged the Airport taxi drivers.
Apart from all these, another strategy used by the party is to task the canvassers in each world to call potential voters and woo them to support the party. This campaign strategy did wonders especially in Ejigbo where the former Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan led the campaign and mobilized more people to do the job. This was coupled with a door-to-door campaign the party continued till election time.
Other Parties’ Support
In a buildup to the election, no fewer than nine political parties, under the umbrella of the Alliance of Registered Political Parties (ARPP) declared support for the re-election of Governor Sanwo-Olu.
They include Young Progressives Party (YPP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All People’s Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), People Redemption Party (PRP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), and All Peoples Party (APP).
The governorship candidate of YPP, who doubles as the leader of ARPP, Mr. Ajayi Adebayo, explained that the parties decided after a thorough analysis of the performance of the APC in Lagos State.
He noted that the governorship candidates of APP, Adeyemi Abiola, ZLP, Adenipekun Adekunle, APM, Kupoluyi Funmi, and ADP, Ishola Bamidele, had stepped down their governorship ambitions to declare their support for Governor Sanwo-Olu.
Adebayo added that they cannot sacrifice the various landmark achievements of the Sanwo-Olu administration on the altar of bitter politicking, adding, “the governor’s consistency as a progressive democrat is worthy of due commendation, and continuity is key.”
The parties said Sanwo-Olu had delivered on his social contract with the people of the state through his THEMES mantra.
Though Accord Party candidate, Hakeem Olaogu Dickson, was expected to declare his support for the APC, he did not do so until about 24 hours before the election. He finally officially declared his support for Sanwo-Olu on Friday, a day before Election Day.
APC’s Victory
Indeed, based on its homework and efforts geared towards the mobilization of the voters, the party was so confident of its victory at the poll.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote at polling unit 105 at Ona-Iwa Mimo Street in Ejigbo, an APC leader in Ejigno LCDA, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan said his party would coast home with victory with a landslide.
Apart from the party’s campaign, he noted that the record of achievements of governor Sanwo-Olu spoke for him at the poll, saying Lagosians want continuity of redevelopment of the state.
He said: “I don’t have any doubt in my mind that APC will win the election. Our governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu will be voted for by the majority of voters in Lagos. And I also believe that our candidate for State House of Assembly in Oshodi-Isolo constituency II, Hon. Ladi Ajomale will also be elected. So I believe that this time, ‘Eko maa soro, Lagosians will speak through their votes. This time around, people have woken up and seen the reality of the situation. It has been realized that people need to be revived, recharged, re-educated, and re-enlightened for them to play their historic role at this juncture in the politics of Lagos State. I believed that by the time we see the votes and INEC announces the result, it should be double what happened last time.”
Bamigbetan also commended the INEC for improving on its logistics, saying: “I must commend the INEC, the evidence available is that they have learned from the error of the past, and this time, we have a better more coordinated arrangement. The officials had arrived as early as 7:30 am, the exercise started immediately and it went on well.”
PDP, LP Alliance
As part of their gimmicks to put up a tough fight against the ruling party, the Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour tried to ally with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but the alliance could not hold.
In a chat with ECHONEWS, Rhodes-Vivour said his party was looking at coming together with PDP to form a strong alliance to oust the ruling APC and relieve the party of power in Lagos State.
He said allying with the PDP became necessary and that he was discussing with the leadership of the party to forge a common front against the APC in the governorship election to be held on March 18, 2023.
However, Rhodes-Vivour was so confident based on the result of the presidential poll in the state, thinking he would ride on the popularity of his party and the success of his presidential candidate.
He was so arrogant that he said the PDP would have to collapse its structure for his party.
He said: “Yes, we are in talks with the stakeholders and owners of PDP to work together to take APC out of this government.
“We are determined to emerge victorious during the coming Saturday gubernatorial election. We have made plans to ensure everybody comes out to vote. We will not be cheated twice, INEC has promised us that there would be the electronic transmission of the results; they deceived us because that was not what happened during the last election, but we will not be deceived again. So, we are encouraging all our members to come out massively and we have made sufficient security plans to ensure everybody is safe.
“How is that possible, Labour Party is strong, we got 900+ thousand votes and have higher votes than both APC and PDP, so it is not possible for us to collapse our structure for the PDP. We’re working with the party and they are collapsing their structure for us so that we can deliver Lagos State.”
However, the PDP candidate, Adediran Olajide (Jandor) who had been building his popularity among Lagosians through his Lagos4Lagos scheme refuses to collapse his party’s structure for LP. He alleged that Rhodes-Vivour has a court case that might jeopardize their victory.
So, the alliance between the two parties flopped and further delete their power and chance of winning the election.
Apart from that, some leader in the PDP withdrew their support for their candidate due to internal crises still going on in the party.
Consequently, lost the election in so many polling units across the state, while Rhodes-Vivour also lost to APC even in his polling unit.
Voters Turnout
Though better than the presidential election, low voter turnout was also recorded during Saturday’s governorship election.
Commenting on this, the Ologudu of Ogudu, Oba Najim Akinwumi Fashola said the low turnout could be a result of the cash crisis still being experienced in the country.
Meanwhile, he commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the improvement of its equipment and workforce to have a seamless electoral process.
He confirmed that the election in Lagos State was peaceful and credible, stating that the BVAS worked perfectly in his community.
Though know turnout was observed, the number of voters who came out to vote on Saturday could not be as certain until the result is announced by INEC.
