vanguardngr.com
THE April 11 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections will be keenly contested in all the states across the nation especially in Lagos State.
The outcome of the presidential election which threw up Maj-Gen Muhammudu Buhari (retd) is poised to affect Saturday’s voting pattern. In Lagos, the two front-line contenders for the Alausa House, Mr Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Mr Akinwumi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are not resting on their oars to ensure they outwit each other at the polls.
Aside this, the presidential polls results, which saw the PDP and APC in a neck-to-neck battle is already causing stir in the political atmosphere in Lagos. This remains a major factor.
Buhari got 792,460 votes, while President Goodluck Jonathan got 632,327, about 50 per cent of the votes he received from the state in 2011. Strategically, Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of the country. Whereas the control of Lagos by either the PDP or APC, would go a long way in scoring a big political point, some factors will determine the outcome of tomorrow’s polls.
Igbo factor
People from the South-Eastern part of the country have already become the beautiful bride as far as politics in Lagos is concerned. Their population and investment in the state has thrown them up to be a force to reckon with. Politicians from the two camps have made overtures to the Igbo traditional rulers, leaders of trade unions and others for their support.
In Lagos, the APC is said to be meeting with several Igbo groups in order to garner their support ahead of tomorrow’s polls.
One significant upset in this year’s general election is the clinching of two House of Representatives seats by the Igbo. Igbo living in Lagos have made a significant statement by clearing at least two House of Representatives seats out of the five won by the PDP.
APC’s loss
The loss of six seats in the House of Representatives by the APC to the PDP and Accord Party in Lagos State is making the ruling party uncomfortable. Ethnic inclinations might have influenced the voting in favour of three non-indigenes, Mr. Oghene Egboh, Mrs. Rita Orji and Mr. Tony Nwulu who were massively voted for in their constituencies dominated by non-indigenes.
While Egboh defeated Mr. Ganiyu Olukolu in Amuwo Odofin local government, an area largely populated by Igbo, Orji, on the other hand, won Taiwo Adenekan at Ajeromi/Ifelodun area of the state. Another upset was in Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency 2, where Tony Nwulu defeated the incumbent member, Mr. Akeem Muniru.
Pundits hold the view that apart from the fact that voters in these areas are majorly non-indigenes, they are also keen supporters of President Jonathan and that is why they voted all PDP candidates. Mr. Tajudeen Obasa, who contested in Ojo Local Government which is the base of Alaba International market, the largest electronic market in Nigeria, also dominated by Igbo, won the Reps seat.
Mr. Tunji Soyinka of the PDP defeated Mr. Hakeem Bamgbala of the APC in Surulere Federal Constituency 2, an area that also had a high number of non-indigenes who came out to exercise their civic responsibility for the PDP candidate. In Mushin Federal Constituency 2, the APC candidate, Yemi Alli, lost to Dauda Kako-Aare who defected to Accord Party after he lost the APC primary.
Akiolu’s threat
One other factor the APC had to contend with is how to douse the dust raised by the Lagos monarch, where he allegedly threatened and cursed that Igbo will drown in Lagos Lagoon within seven days if they did not vote for Ambode.
While the PDP will be banking on this strength to win tomorrow’s polls, the APC on the other hand is not resting on its oars to resolve the impasse caused by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu.
Though, the Oba of Lagos had said that he was misquoted and clarified what he told Igbo leaders, who visited him, the polity was awash with outrage. This development pundits posit, is capable of leading to protest votes on the part of the Igbo, if urgent steps are not taken to stem the tide. For Ambode, he has restated his commitment to lead a government of inclusion where every Lagosian, irrespective of tribe or ethnicity, is carried along in the quest to make Lagos greater.
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