WIND OF CHANGE IN LAGOS AND OTHER STATES

The Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria have come and gone, with winners and losers known; and history made. Nigerians wanted a change and they got it. The Presidency, from May 29, 2015 would change; so also the National Assembly, especially the upper house (Senate) where the main opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) has the majority. The wind of change is not yet over until after the April 11, 2015 elections for the gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly. Special attention should be paid to states like Abia, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Niger and Taraba.

In Abia, people are just tired of Governor Theodore Orji’s rule, punctuated with non-performance. His victory as a senator in the just-concluded election is being challenged. Furthermore, he wants his son to be the Speaker of Abia House of Assembly and hence (his son) is contesting to be a member of the House. Aba, which is the main commercial stay of the state, remains neglected. Abia people are seriously considering giving a stiff fight to ensure that Orji’s stooge, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, loses at the poll.

There are strong indications that Lagos would go to Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party. He is considered a good Lagosian who would perform. In Lagos many people who voted APC during the presidential election have indicated that between Akin Ambode and Agbaje, they would rather go for Agbaje as a more serious person that can carry on from where Babatunde Fashola stopped. Fashola did his best and most Lagosians appreciate. As for Ambode, many have declared that he has not shown any seriousness that he would not be a stooge of Jagaban. In a nutshell, because of how Ambode was trumped up by Jagaban, people of Lagos are determined that he should not be given the opportunity. They chorused that after all, Agbaje is also a Lagosian and better known than Ambode. In Akwa Ibom, people are being educated that whoever would emerge as governor is not going be a non-indigene but an Akwa Ibomite. People’s gullibility or docility is beginning to change. They do not want to see anyone imposed on them as their governor. They contend that as Governor Godswill Akpabio refused his mentor, former Governor Obong Attah, to impose his (Attah’s) choice as governor in 2007, they see no reason why Governor Akpabio would now force his choice on the people.