Hottestgistnaija.com
by Arisekola popson
About two months ago, we did a story, where we predicted that Akinwunmi Ambode, the Lagos State Gubernatorial candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), will emerge the winner of the 2015 Lagos State Gubernatorial election. However, the recent activities unfolding in the country, especially in Lagos State, have suggested that the pendulum is now swinging in the direction of Jimi Agbaje, the Lagos State Gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
There are so many reasons why one will reasonably conclude that Jimi Agbaje will become the next Governor of Lagos State. The first of these reasons is the sentimental factor of the Igbos in Lagos State. It is a known fact that the Igbos make the higher percentage of the non-indigenes residing in Lagos State. This was evident in the results of the last elections, where three of the people from the Southeast emerged the winners of the House of Representatives contests. Therefore, Igbos remain major stakeholders in the incoming Lagos State Gubernatorial election. So they are bound to influence the outcome of the election.
In an observation carried out on some of the Igbos residents of the Lagos State by one of our reporters, the result indicated that nine (9) out of every ten (10) Igbos residing in Lagos State are determined to give their votes to Jimi Agbaje for variety of reasons. While some of them believe that Jimi Agbaje will perform better than the Akinwunmi Ambode, some seriously believe that the Yorubas, especially the likes of Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu and Governor Babatunde Fashola, were the brain behind the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in South-West. According to these people, If President Jonathan had not been rigged out in the South-West, General Muhammad Buhari wouldn’t have had that edge on Jonathan. So to them, it’s pay-back time.
Furthermore, all the PDP’s governors from the Eastern and South-south zones of the country are all determined to do everything under their capacities, financially and morally, to ensure that Agbaje emerge the winner. It was gathered from a reliable source, that Gov. Godwill Akpabio has given his words to render his financial support in ensuring that PDP wins Lagos State Gubernatorial election. The governor and many others of his likes believe that winning Lagos State will amount to a very big asset for them, bearing in mind that their party has just been voted out at the Presidential election. To them, winning Lagos State now will be an added advantage for them in 2019 general elections. They cannot avoid to lose Lagos State.
Another reason one may be reasonably conclude that Jimi Agbaje will emerge the winner could be seen in the result of the last Presidential election in Lagos State. Despite the fact that Lagos State is a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the results of the last election was quite surprising to many as they had imagined that APC will beat PDP with a wide margin. The reverse was the case as APC could only lead with less than two hundred thousand votes.
In the same vein, another factor one considers in concluding that Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party will emerge the winner of the Lagos State Gubernatorial election is due to the fact that the key members of the PDP in Lagos State have all come together as one family to ensure that their candidate wins. It would be recalled that prior to the Lagos State PDP Governorship primary election, which produced Jimi Agbaje as the party’s flag-bearer, the likes of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Olabode George were not in good terms with each other. As a matter of fact, Olabode George saw to the defeat of Obanikoro in that election. However, for the purpose of winning this Lagos State Governorship election for their candidate, they have both decided to let go of their differences. In a meeting recently held with President Jonathan, Olabode George was alleged to be shouting on Obanikoro, blaming him for the PDP’s defeat in Lagos State. But Obanikoro was reported to have said, in a very cool and calm voice, that he would no longer want to join issues with Olabode George, for a particular reason, which is winning the Lagos State Gubernatorial election. Obanikoro was reported to have appealed to Olabode to forget the past so that they can concentrate fully on winning the election for Jimi Agbaje and their party.
The last but not the least of the recent activities that have brightened the success of Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Lagos State Governorship election is the recent political blunder committed by the Oba of Lagos, HRM. Oba Riliwan Akinolu. Oba Akinolu’s recent statement credited to him, in which he was alleged to have summoned the Igbos traditional chiefs in Lagos State to a meeting, and threatened them to vote for the candidacy of Akinwunmi Ambode. The oba did not only threaten the Igbos’s chiefs, he was reported to have placed a curse on them that any of them who decides to go against his will, which is voting for Ambode, will perish in Lagos lagoon.
This unfortunate controversial statement and acts of Oba Akinolu has generated different views and opinions from the people. The people are so much angry with this statement and action of the Oba that many have now decided to dare the king and vote for Jimi Agbaje. As a matter of fact, many who are pro-APC and who previously had the intention of voting for Ambode have now made a u-turn. To make the matter worse for Ambode, the APC leaders implored the Oba to apologise to the Igbos in the interest of the party and Ambode, but the Oba bluntly refused, claiming that kings don’t go back on their words.
With all these above noted points, people who see through their minds, would agree that the next Lagos State Governor will be Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party.
