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Lagos PDP, APC strategise ahead of council, 2019 elections

By Olaoluwa Ogungbe
11 April 2017   |   4:16 am
Also weighing down the PDP is the crisis over the national chairmanship, which has factionalised its members in Lagos; this is as other minor parties are crying fowl that the APC is up to some mischief for delaying the elections.

Governor Akinwumi Ambode and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Ahead of the Lagos State councils’ poll, which has now been fixed for July 22 by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s-led administration, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other fringe parties have commenced intense preparations ahead of the elections.

Although, some skeptics have continued to insinuate that one of the factors that kept the ruling party from organizing the council polls on time, is not far from the fact it was defeated by the PDP in some of the National and State assemblies polls during the 2015 elections and it has been looking for a way to bridge the gap.

Unfortunately, the recent defection of some PDP lawmakers in the State House of Assembly to the APC is not also boosting the opposition’s morale ahead of the election, which appears to be what the APC has been waiting for before fixing the date for the election.

Also weighing down the PDP is the crisis over the national chairmanship, which has factionalised its members in Lagos; this is as other minor parties are crying fowl that the APC is up to some mischief for delaying the elections.

Although, the Moshood Elsavador-chairmanship faction of the Lagos PDP during a general assembly meeting held recently declared support for the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee, saying that the party is working as one in the state, the faction led by Mr. Segun Adewale is expressing loyalty to the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction. This development, some PDP members argued would impinge seriously negatively on the party whenever the council election is conducted.

The party state publicity secretary, Taofik Gani, said that PDP is already initiating the process of declaring the seats of six of its members who defected to the APC in the Lagos State House of Assembly vacant.

He said, “We are doing our homework and we are going to make our formal application to the necessary authorities for their seats to be declared vacant. We want them to come and test their popularity in their various constituencies. If truly they are popular they should vacate their positions and not even contest their seats that will be declared vacant in court but come out and test their popularity in an election.”

However, Mr. Omoniyi Olulade one of the leaders of APC in Amuwo Odofin where the party was defeated in the 2015 National and State assemblies polls, said the party is working assiduously ahead of the council polls and 2019 to regain the constituencies from the rival party.

He said the party has identified reasons responsible for the loss and has corrected and blocked such loopholes, saying: “It was not that the APC lost popularity but that the battle was lost within.”

Olulade who is also warming up to contest said during a youth empowerment programme the party organised at Ward A 2, Amuwo Odofin, that what APC “is currently showcasing is integrity, intensity and intelligence before the electorate and not money politics or politics based on fallacies.”

He claimed that Ambode’s administration is already initiating developmental programmes to develop and transform Amuwo Odofin’s landscpe, saying: “For instance, the electorate are beginning to see positive changes in the environment. One of the changes is the improved security we now enjoyed and uplift of infrastructure within our area.

The governor has also commenced demolition of illegal buildings where hoodlums usually hide whenever they committed atrocities.” Olulade, who disclosed that the party has initiated several youth development programme said, “Come any election, the PDP can never defeat us again.”

Meanwhile, the Spokesman of the APC in Lagos, Mr. Joe Igbokwe said there is no cause for alarm as the party is intact and would massively win any election conducted in the state henceforth.

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