Obidients’ tsunami sends jitters into Governors seeking re-election
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been on his toes since Obidients took Lagos for the Labour Party (LP) in EndSars fight back in the presidential election on February 25.
Before the vote, a complacent Sanwo-Olu cooked up an excuse to dodge a debate with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran (popularly called Jandor).
That changed after Peter Obi trounced Sanwo-Olu’s godfather Bola Tinubu in his fiefdom, even with the suppression of voters by thugs hired by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sanwo-Olu has since been visiting markets, upped his poster and television campaigns, and appearing on television to plead with voters not to sack him.
In Edo, the fear of the Obidients’ wave previously expressed by Governor Godwin Obaseki came to pass as the insurgents handed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state to Obi.
The defeat is on a larger scale in neighbouring Delta where the Obidient Movement overran Governor Ifeany Okowa for the LP, despite the prospect of him becoming Vice President on the PDP ticket with Atiku Abubakar.
Daily Post writes this is first time in many years the governorship ballot on March 18 is unpredictable, as Governors seeking reelection or who have preferred successors are in panic mode.
Going by the results of the presidential and National Assembly (NASS) elections, several Governors are jittery of the outcome of the governorship and state Assembly elections.
Against all odds, sitting Governors and established politicians who vied for senatorial jobs lost to candidates of the LP which some had loudly dismissed as lacking a structure to win elections.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) data shows that, overall, at least 14 Governors lost their states to opposition parties, including the LP, in the presidential election.
The include Governors
- Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu)
- Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia)
- Ben Ayade (Cross River)
- Nyesom Wike (Rivers)
- Godwin Obaseki (Edo)
- Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta)
- Seyi Makinde (Oyo)
- Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos)
- Simon Lalong (Plateau)
- Samuel Ortom (Benue)
- Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa)
- Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano)
- Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna)
- Aminu Masari (Katsina)
If the trend is repeated in the governorship and state Assembly elections some Governors seeking a second term or to produce their successors may lose.
Enugu
The LP snatched great success in Enugu in the federal elections as it clinched seven out of the eight seats House of Representatives seats.
And Ugwuanyi, Enugu North senatorial candidate, was defeated by LP candidate Okey Ezea.
The PDP government reportedly met with state Catholic Church leaders recently to solicit support for the party’s governorship candidate, Peter Mbah.
LP governorship Chijioke Edeoga, whom PDP supporters see as a threat to their candidate, hopes to leverage on Obi’s votes.
State LP chieftain Malachy Onyechi told Daily Post the party would come out tops in the gubernatorial fight just as it did in the presidential.
Onyechi, who doubles as state LP House of Assembly candidate for Nsukka West Constituency, said Edeoga represents fresh air for Enugu people and would work to salvage the state from decay.
“We don’t have any fear regarding the upcoming election; we will come out on top just as we did in the presidential election. Our candidate represents fresh air for Enugu people,” he said.
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Lagos
Sanwo-Olu is seeking a second term but is cautious because of the defeat the LP handed his benefactor Tinubu in the presidential election and also grabbed four NASS seats.
He is trying to curry favour with the Igbo who supposedly possess the most significant bloc vote in Lagos after the indigenous Yoruba.
There are fears in the APC camp Igbos may vote for LP candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
APC Presidential Campaign Committee (PCC) spokesman Femi Fani-Kayode recently boasted the party would not allow Rhodes-Vivour to hand over the state to Igbos.
Fani-Kayode claimed Yorubas were tortured in the South East during the presidential election.
In a series of tweets, he also alleged some Igbos were killed in the South East for voting for Tinubu.
But PDP candidate Jandor said Igbos deserve protection and respect for their enormous contribution to the development of Lagos, Nigeria’s richest, most populous and most cosmopolitan state.
Jandor made the remark at a townhall with an Igbo group, Ndigbo Na Lagos Bu Otu, in Surulere on March 5.
“Appreciation of Lagosians of the first order who understand that all Igbo people in Lagos are one of those who have contributed immensely to our prosperity in the state of Lagos,” he said.
Not leaving anything to chance, Sanwo-Olu, apart from meeting with Igbo stakeholders, has also released impounded vehicles free to their owners. Overtures believed to be targeted at garnering votes.
A state APC chieftain disclosed his party has made plans on how to retain the governorship, having reached out to ethnic blocs taking into consideration APC lapses in the presidential election.
“I can’t reveal everything to you. It’s a game plan perfectly drawn. We as a party have really learnt our lesson from the last election. It’s going to be a smooth one,” he told Daily Post.
Delta
The LP has become a beautiful bride sought after by the PDP and the APC in Delta, which Okowa failed to carry in his vice presidential bid.
Okowa has since taken the campaign to religious leaders seeking support for his candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori.
The state LP has disassociated itself from rumour it was negotiating with Okowa for the governorship election.
State LP Chairman Tony Ezeagwu issued a statement on March 6 in Asaba to quash the rumour, saying LP supporters are determined to win the governorship and would never divert their support to any other party.
However, some supporters of Obi have pledged to work with APC candidate Ovie Omo-Agege.
A Coalition of Obidients Movement in Delta Central, led by Ochuko Edafe, claimed Obidients vote for individuals and not parties.
“We, Obidients, follow the footsteps and watch the character of our principal … Peter Obi, and when we came down home to our state, Delta, we decided we are going to look out for the same character and among all the people running for Governor of Delta State ….
“Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has those qualities and character, and as you can see, he is a man of the people who is ready to meet with the people anytime,” Edafe argued.
Rivers
Many supporters of Obi are not happy with Wike as they believe he worked against the interest of their presidential candidate in favour of Tinubu.
Wike is reportedly making moves to appease Igbo groups to ensure his candidate, Siminialaye Fubara, succeeds him.
He has also reportedly intensified efforts to woo Obi’s supporters with mouth-watering promises to deliver his candidate.
But state APC chieftain Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has urged voters to speak with one voice in the governorship as they did in the presidential in which the APC snatched Rivers from the PDP.
Eze implored Igbo residents to ignore any invitation to meet with Wike for any reason whatsoever.
He alleged Wike deployed every state apparatus to render useless every legitimate effort to ensure majority voters’ choice was reflected in the result of the federal elections.