MOMENTUM OF CHANGE IN LAGOS ELECTIONS

The change at the centre of government in Nigeria is being seen by most Lagosians as a sign of things to come in the governorship elections of April 11 in the state . This has become an embarrassing moment for the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose candidate retired General Muhammadu Buhari swept the polls at the last presidential elections where he decisively swept President Goodluck Jonathan out of Aso Rock on a platform of change which has been resonant in the campaigns of the APC in Lagos State for sometime now .

Now the APC slogan in Lagos State till now has been “Continuity” because the APC candidate Akin Ambode is expected to succeed incumbent Governor Raji Fashola and continue his so-called good works which has been a source of anger and indignation amongst most Lagosians who think successive Lagos governors have not delivered on their campaign promises to make life better for the masses of Lagos State . This is in spite of the huge resources of the state – resources which find their way to the private pockets of APC leaders in the state.

The presidential and the National Assembly elections on March 28 have shown unusual and unexpected victories for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even in some key APC strongholds. This is unprecedented in Lagos politics and it has given a boost to the PDP campaign team in the state that indeed their campaign for change is catching on with the electorate in the state. This is particularly reflected in areas thickly populated by the Igbos who have always taken issues with present and past APC leaders in government that they want democratic representation in governance commensurate with their population and economic contribution to the development of the state which is mammoth. The mood of the Igbos now is to seal the fate of the APC on the continuity slogan during the April 11 elections. They have rallied to use their huge numbers in Lagos to make this happen by voting massively for the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Jimi Agbaje. This has been an underground campaign and is in opposite direction to what their so -called leaders are being quoted as saying in the news media. This is because of fear of persecution by the APC government which is still in power till May 29 and can still ruin their businesses if their leaders are perceived as not playing ball .

However the major headache for the APC Akin Ambode Campaign team is how to stop its supporters from shouting change in the governorship campaign and election when it is all they have been doing since the beginning of the campaign. Whereas change has always been the theme of the PDP and its candidate in their bold quest to wrest power from the hitherto well-seated but now very fidgety APC political machinery that has been in control of Alausa, the seat of government, for the past two decades .

Ibiyemi Adetoro, Lagos