It is just five days to the governoship elections in Lagos and some other states of Nigeria. As in the presidential election, the contest in almost every one of the states is a two-horse race.
It is more so in Lagos where both the ruling party, APC and main opposition PDP are locked in a battle royal to determine who wins this all-important battle which is so tight that it looks like a neck-to-neck sprint.
While the incumbent party says it is a no-contest as they are set to retain the state, the opposition says nothing can stop them from claiming the coveted prize.
Figures released by INEC for the last presidential election in Lagos showed that APC received 580,825 votes and PDP got 448,015. There have been counter figures by PDP and one claim credited to observers who said PDP’s votes were credited to APC.
Therefore, Saturday’s polls look set to put to rest the controversy of who is superior among the two parties – the toga that has been worn by the APC or its main legacy parties since 1999 when Bola Tinubu became governor.
In the midst of all this controversy has come the issue of Igbos and their pattern of voting. The imbroglio in Okota part of Lagos where people identified as from the Igbo stock were attacked by thugs and prevented from voting while votes already cast were burnt and ballot boxes destroyed, featured prominently on national television.
The thuggery incident has been linked by several commentators to ‘uncooperative’ attitude of the Igbos who refuse to vote for the ruling party. These comments and the fracas in Okota itself are distractions that would not be good for any of the candidates. Both candidates Babajide Sanwo-Olu of APC and Jimi Agbaje of PDP are known to have wooed the Igbos by meeting with their leaders.
How does one know who this or that voter will cast his vote for in a ‘secret’ ballot system? After the people have voted, how do you know which tribe voted for which candidate? There’s no way to check except you just generalise and say there are more of a particular tribe resident in the locality.
All these are just unnecessary distractions capable of preventing prospective voters from coming out on Saturday if they are not sure of tbeir safety and freedom to cast their votes for their preferred candidates. Both sides will lose valuable votes from the disenfranchised PVC holders. It is also palpably wrong to assume that all Igbos support PDP. How do you think APGA has held sway in Anambra all these years in a state where there are top PDP brass? And how did Ifeanyi Ubah of YPP win his senate seat there two weeks ago amidst the favourites PDP, APGA or APC candidates?
I know of some Igbos in Lagos who are die-hard APC. We have had Igbos elected into the House of Assembly in Lagos under the APC flag. The Igbokwe family is a good example. Joe Igbokwe has been Lagos State APC publicity secretary for several years. Gabriel Igbokwe, his younger brother and my neighbour a couple of houses down, can practically ‘kill’ for APC, so to speak.
You can’t also stereotype people who will vote for PDP. Don’t assume that all Ijaw people in Ajegunle are likely to be PDP. In many houses in Lagos, we can have family members who belong to different political parties. I have a friend in Lagos here who is fully APC but his wife is unrepentantly PDP – the same way a man can support Manchester United while his wife is an Arsenal fan.
The world has gone ahead from the old ways and days where you can stereotype people or force them to do your political bidding because you feel they owe you.
Come Saturday, we need a peaceful environment for everyone to come out and vote. Thankfully, several meetings are said to have been held between concerned parties and groups to douse the tension. Lagos will remain Lagos for all Lagosians – a place of peace, opportunities, progress and fulfilment for those who work hard.
With due respect to the other parties’ presidential candidates, the battle for the soul of Lagos on Saturday 9th of March is between my ex-UBA colleague Jide Sanwo-Olu and my church member Jimi Agbaje.
May the better man win!
Image credit: Catholic Herald
Ogie Eboigbe, veteran journalist, broadcaster and public affairs specialist writes and analyses current and historical issues with a ‘wise pen’.
Your analysis of the situation is quite reassuring. Thanks to the “wise pen.” I wish INEC was able to do a similar thing through it’s voter’s education forum. And I wish the Lagos voters appreciate these facts you have just pointed out. Truly, there is reasonable apprehension of fear and violence due to the division created by the voting phenomenon involving the Ibo tribe in relation to the desperation of the APC to affirm it’s political control of Lagos State. I can tell you many voters will prefer to remain indoors on Saturday than to be a victim of the crude politics.