B y Femi Aribisala
Just think how many votes can be harvested in Lagos
by telling commuters an incoming PDP government will
allow Okadas back on the roads.
I did not know how precise my analyses of Bola
Tinubu’s misfortunes are, until I saw the barrage of the
Lilliputian army sent to attack me. In the last few days,
I have been much-maligned and abused by a league of
Tinubu’s henchmen. Lagos State cowboys have also
descended on my office, asking for building permits
when I am not building anything; demanding to know if
my office is fire-proof, and threatening to close it down
if I show no “satisfaction” within two days.
I remain undaunted by these shenanigans. The bottom
line is that I am not the one running for election in
2015: they are. Neither does it matter if I am the
buffoon they claim I am. It is a contradiction in terms
to spend so much time and effort trying to discredit a
fool. If my views are truly inconsequential, those
planning to run for office would not be so determined to
silence me.
Strange bed-fellows
The irony in all this is that I actually consider myself to
be more a friend of the APC than a foe. What I offer is
wise counsel which, if seriously considered by the APC,
would be detrimental to the PDP. There is no doubt
that Nigeria deserves a strong opposition to the
government. Unfortunately, that strong opposition
cannot come from the foolishness of the APC.
As presently constituted, the APC is a very good
guarantee of another four years of the PDP, in spite of
the ruling party’s many inadequacies. How else are we
to explain why an incumbent APC governor lost to a
PDP challenger by a landslide in Ekiti? Instead of
harnessing its much-vaunted strength, the APC is
showing new weaknesses, even in its South-West
strongholds. Should it lose Osun in the forthcoming
gubernatorial election in August, then Bola Tinubu is
toast.
Before it can qualify to reform the polity, the APC needs
first to transform itself. Here is another attempt to
show it the error of its ways, although there are signs it
might already be too late for it to make amends in time
for the forthcoming elections.
The APC is an amalgamation of strange bedfellows with
conflicting political agendas, all desperate for power at
the centre. This explains why it even welcomes former
PDP opponents. This marriage of convenience is likely
to collapse sooner than later on the very altar of its
internal contradictions, the nearer we get to the
elections. In any case, bombast don’t create a
formidable political party: popular grassroots support
does.
Many of the “timber and caliber” of the APC cannot
even deliver their local governments. Their rants make
for interesting newspaper headlines, while adding
precious little to the electoral fortunes of their party.
Those were the days when popular support counted for
nothing in Nigerian elections. Those days are gone, as
the recent election in Ekiti shows. For example, Rotimi
Amaechi is very good public relations for the APC. But
only a fool believes Rivers State is going to vote APC in
2015. Neither can Rochas Okorocha deliver Imo State
to his new party.
Demonising the electorate
I am amused at people who make fun of Patience
Jonathan’s down-to-earth style of public-speaking and
have turned her “There is God O” into a derogatory
slogan. What they fail to appreciate is that the First
Lady’s homespun deliveries resonate with a
constituency which accounts for the major part of the
Nigerian population.
Unlike Patience Jonathan, many of the APC bigwigs are
out of touch with the electorate. They have been so
blinded by their naked ambitions; they can no longer
discern the signs of the times. This accounts for the big
shocker of the Ekiti elections, which they are still trying
to explain away with all kinds of rationalizations. Their
contempt for the wishes of the people led to the current
APC romance with the preposterous idea of a Muslim/
Muslim presidential ticket in this day and age.
Therefore, if they are not careful, they are in for further
surprises in “INEC 2015.”
Instread of addressing what led to the disaster in Ekiti,
the APC have resorted to abusing the electorate.
Suddenly, we are made to understand that the people of
Ekiti are stupid. They are derided as having voted for
“stomach infrastructure” instead of physical
infrastructure.
In a release signed by Joe Igbokwe, the APC Publicity
Secretary for Lagos State, the party declared: “It should
be noted that PDP is now flaunting what is now known
as ‘politics of stomach infrastructure’ which targets the
borderless hunger it has provoked for fifteen years for
exploitation.” “We want to assure the PDP that it is
building castles in the air by hallucinating that it will
ever capture Lagos by its politics of hunger and mass
poverty.”
This is nothing short of delusional. The tide of South-
West politics is moving inexorably against the APC. By
shouting from the rooftops about how bad things are in
Nigeria, the APC seems to have forgotten that it is the
one in power in the South-West. Therefore, if things are
bad there, it is the APC, and not the PDP, that is held
responsible. Accordingly, in Ekiti, the APC governor was
thrown out in one of the freest and fairest elections ever
conducted by INEC.
Pounded-yam politics
I have news for the APC. Its defeat in Ekiti is the
strongest indication yet that the PDP has hit on a
winning formula that might prove equally devastating to
the APC in other areas of the South-West. Indeed, the
APC government in Lagos is likely to be swept away by
the same politics of “stomach infrastructure” that it
derides to its cost in Ekiti.
I am an unrepentant admirer of Babatunde Fashola and
his seven-year tenure as governor of Lagos State. He
has done a lot to change the face of Lagos for the
better by renovating the physical infrastructures. But
the Ekiti defeat has exposed the Achilles heel of the APC
in their Lagos stronghold. In his seven years as
governor, Fashola has been contemptuous of the
electorate’s need for “stomach infrastructure.”
While Fashola has been busy tarring roads, building
fanciful tolled bridges and planting grass and flowers; he
has ignored the need of the people for basic things of
life like food, shelter and gainful employment. There is
no pipe-borne water in much of Lagos; and yet the
state generates over 27 billion in internal revenue every
month. When asked why he did not build low-cost
housing in Lagos, Fashola replied contemptuously that
he could not find any low-cost cement to buy.
Like Fayemi, Fashola speaks primarily for the rich.
Under him, the poor in Lagos have been marginalized;
oftentimes evicted from their homes without the benefit
of rehabilitation. Their menial abodes in places like
Mushin, Oluwole, Ojota, Makoko and Ijora-Badia East
have been bulldozed. Their markets in Tejuoso, Yaba
and Oshodi have been demolished. The new stalls that
replaced them were priced beyond their pockets.
Okadas have been banned from most areas of Lagos,
denying many of their means of livelihood. Alternative
means of transportation were not adequately provided,
making it even more difficult for those who don’t have
cars to move around. The poor residents of the Eti-osa,
Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government areas, now have
to pay tolls going to and from the Lagos mainland. The
people are well-aware that the road-concessions were
to the financial benefit of the “godfather” of the APC.
Task-force terrorists
Street-trading, another means of livelihood for the
common man, is also frowned at by the Lagos APC
government. As the police chase okada riders down the
streets, impounding and inheriting their bikes, so do the
“kick against indiscipline” brigadiers confiscate and
inherit the goods of hapless petty-traders.
Different task force officials in Lagos derive pleasure in
harassing and arresting people indiscriminately, often in
order to extort bribes. All this has gone a long way in
generating hatred for the government among the rank-
and-file. In short, Fashola’s marauding brigadiers have
become a terror to the people. They seem to be
maliciously intent on squeezing the life out of the man-
in-the-street.
I have this theory about Fashola’s Lagos. If a Nigerian
Bill Gates were to decide to give away free of charge
100 billion naira of food to poor Lagosians, he would be
confronted with a whole army of Lagos State officials
who would impede and hinder him at every turn. They
would harass him for this permit and that permit. They
would throw every possible bit of regulation at him. So
much so that the man might get fed up and just cancel
the project.
In short, Fashola has run Lagos with disregard for
“stomach infrastructure.” Despite being a beneficiary of
free education himself, he hiked Lagos State University
fees from N25,000 to N360,000. Protesting students
descended on his office with cooking-pots and
firewood. Even the well-to-do have not been spared
from the state’s multiple tax burdens. Nevertheless,
Lagos has the highest debt-profile of any state in the
federation. The large community of Igbo Lagosians has
also been alienated by the APC policy of deporting some
poor Igbo back to their home-states in the dead of
night.
Time-up
As a result, the bell tolls for the APC in Lagos. Just
think how many votes can be harvested by telling
commuters an incoming PDP government will allow
okadas back on the roads. Or think how many votes
the PDP can get by promising to revoke the hated toll-
collection on the Lekki/Ajah expressway.
If you add to all this the imminent implosion that is
likely as Tinubu tries yet again to impose his own
candidate as APC gubernatorial flag-bearer without the
benefit of a democratic election, then the chances are
high that APC might be dethroned in Lagos. The irony
here is that while APC bigwigs are angling for two birds
in the bush in Abuja in 2015, they are likely to lose their
bird-in-hand in Lagos. Many Lagosians are increasingly
fed up with the APC. After fifteen years of limited
“stomach infrastructure,” Lagos is finally ripe for the
plucking by the PDP.

That was long........ Summary tell okada pdp will allow you work any where, tell lekki ajah people toll gate will be removed.
APC is in real trouble a combination of angry students in lagos, angry okada ridders and tollgate users well who can know PDP might be lucky come 2015. anti people policies by fashola might just crumble the party

I agree with you on this.
The hatred everyone developed against the APC today is a direct reaction to the disdain Fashola has for the lowly ones in Lagos.
The man have no respect for us, people who voted for him. Kind of arrogance...
Go to your state? Isn't that insultive? After we voted him to power?

Whether he liked it or not, his time will come to an end.....

Petty garbage from an unintelligent paid agent. All i see is doro beef and blatant lies from an attention seeking buffon. PDP can only pluck lagos from APC in the room or wherever u sit to write your poo, or better still in your delusional dreams.

GAZZUZZ: That was long........ Summary tell okada pdp will allow you work any where, tell lekki ajah people toll gate will be removed.
APC is in real trouble a combination of angry students in lagos, angry okada ridders and tollgate users well who can know PDP might be lucky come 2015. anti people policies by fashola might just crumble the party

Childish rants. If you are a fool, all Lagosians are not fools.

APC! APC!! APC!!!

The Handwriting is clearly on the walls... you can't claim to have the support of Lagosians 100% like it was in previous elections, coupled with the facts that your own house is defragmented.

Only a change of policy, ideology, delivering of democratic dividends and clearer vision could probable change our hearts.

I wish Nigeria well.

propaganda gabbage,then money,army,rigging,cunny man die,cunny man bury am

GENERAL GOATLUCK CLUELESS JONA DAFT
C-in-C ( conqueror in chief) of APC

TILL '19

Obiagelli: Bring back Okada
Bring back potholes
Bring back armed robbers
Bring back refuse mountains of refuse
Bring back empty hospitals
Bring back teachers strike
Bring back traffic
Bring back abandoned vehicles
Bring back broken down vehicles (for days)
Bring back stagnant drains
Bring back destitutes
Bring back old oshodi
Bring back old cms
Bring back old obalende
Bring back road side traders
Bring back child hawkers
Bring back poor teachers

PDP BRING BACK MADNESS.

The MASSES can't see your media propaganda.

Bring back? Has PDP ever ruled Lagos?

HisRoyalHardnes:

The MASSES can't see your media propaganda.

Bring back? Has PDP ever ruled Lagos?

Good question.

Obiagelli:
did gej rule nigeria before dragging us 10yrs backwards?

Perfect answer!

Obiagelli:
did gej rule nigeria before dragging us 10yrs backwards?

Topic says Lagos, propaganda brings in GEJ.

DID Tinubu (THE OWNER OF APC)RULE LAGOS FOR 8YRS BEFORE FASHOLA?

APC will "LIKELY"? LOL

APC WILL LOOOSSSSEEEE LAGOS IJN, AMEN!!!

We are tired of Tinu-ole.
We are tired of one family ruling Lagos like his personal property.

We are Tired! [size=14pt]We are Tired!![/size] [size=20pt]WE ARE TIRED!!![/size]



[size=15pt]PDP!!!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE! IJN.[/size]

Well I'm not partisan, but OP I gotta ask, why would you want okada back on Lagos highways.

That's like wishing for Lagos to retrogress, rather than progress.

CHOOSING BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA..

APC . BEING THE DEVIL..
PDP . AS THE DEEP BLUE SEA.

EITHER WAY ITS A ONE WAY TICKET TO HELL..

ITS JUST THAT ONE GETS U THERE FASTER..

FOR ME ID RATHER TAKE MY CHANCES IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA , WHO KNOWS I COULD POSSIBLY GET A LIFE VEST AND SWIM FOR A WHILE BEFORE DROWNING .. POSSIBLY I COULD GET FIND AN ISLAND AND LIVE LARGE BEFORE THE CORRUPTION TSUNAMI SWEEPS ITS AWAY.... ANYTHING WOULD BE BETTER RIGHT NOW . COS QUITE FRANKLY DINING WITH THE DEVIL FOR EIGHT YEARS AMIDST ALL HIS DECEIT AND CONCEITED BENEFITS HAS NOT YIELDED MUCH RESULT. HE TAKES WITH BOTH HANDS WHAT HE GIVES WITH ONE ..

HE SMOOTHS TALKS HIS WAY WITH ARROGANCE AND IMPUNITY .AND WATCHES WHILE HIS LITTLE DEMONS TERRORIZE ALL SIMPLY WITH AN EXCUSE OF CREATING ORDER....

GIVE ME THE DEEP BLUE SEA .. WHO KNOWS MAYBE AFTER A WHILE IL MISS THE DEVIL AND WANT TO GET BACK ON HIS TABLE .. BUT FOR NOW PLEASE GIVE ME THE DEEP BLUE SEA ID LIKE TO TRY MY SWIMMING SKILLS






LAGOSIANS DON'T LIKE PDP BUT THEY ARE TIRED OF APC.

LAGOSIANS CAN BE COMPARED TO A WEARY WOMAN THAT NEEDS FREEDOM FROM AN ABUSIVE MAN. IF PDP WILL WIN THE HEARTS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL BRIDE THEN THEY HAVE TO FIELD A CANDIDATE THAT HAS A VERY STRONG AND APPEALING PERSONALITY DEVOID OF THE CURRENT CONFUSED PDP. BUT ALAS WHERE DO WE FIND SUCH A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR..

UchihaMadara: Well I'm not partisan, but OP I gotta ask, why would you want okada back on Lagos highways.
That's like wishing for Lagos to retrogress, rather than progress.

I am not for or against the Okada policy but my question to you is what exactly do you mean by retrogress and progress?

This is Thialand



This is India

[img]https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuu67jYOD64XFMS6eIdTJwoVmmlvSgxnmI4pVQzY_RatJRLQd2[/img]

This is Indonesia

The APC would lose Lagos in a free and fair election, that is beyond doubt. You need to interact with the downtrodden masses to get a sense of the sheer disdain and animosity the grassroots feel for Fashola and his APC gang. Commuters, okada riders and passengers, taxi drivers, petty traders, artisans, etc. . .they all have nothing but tales of woe,.and can't wait to get rid of these exploitative and elitist bullies. Add the overwhelming Igbo population who have not forgotten the deportation saga and the 'go back to your village' insult, and you have a formidable voting force that would sweep the APC into oblivion in Lagos. The PDP hardly needs to campaign to win the election.

I know that the APC would attempt to relax or suspend some of its unpopular and draconian policies in the months preceding the election, but I believe the masses would be too smart to swallow that bait.

ola6:

I am not for or against the Okada policy but my question to you is what exactly do you mean by retrogress and progress?

This is Thialand



This is India

[img]https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuu67jYOD64XFMS6eIdTJwoVmmlvSgxnmI4pVQzY_RatJRLQd2[/img]

This is Indonesia

Thailand and India shouldn't really be our role models though, just saying!

I have no problem if PDP says they want to do away with the toll on Ozumba, but with regards to bringing bikes back though, I believe they can proffer better, more elegant solutions.

I wish for us to be competing, so to speak, with the likes of U.S, U.K, U.A.E, Italy, Canda.... not really India.

Obiagelli:
are those on the highway? Lasg government didn't ban Okada entirely but gave categories of bikes for different types of roads.

Also true.

UchihaMadara:
Thailand and India shouldn't really be our role models though, just saying!
I have no problem if PDP says they want to do away with the toll on Ozumba, but with regards to bringing bikes back though, I believe they can proffer better, more elegant solutions.
I wish for us to be competing, so to speak, with the likes of U.S, U.K, U.A.E, Italy, Canda.... not really India.

Each country has its own innovative solution that works best with its given population density. Okadas, yes, they are not elegant but hey, it reduces unemployment. Do you know how it feels to be done with University so as to ride okada and make ends meet? Yet, one man in Ikeja will just send his boys to seize them, just to resale them in neighboring states. YES, the seized okadas are re-sold to citizens of Ogun state and Oyo state. We masses are no fools.

I believe PDP has a good and balanced policy concerning mass transportation. I will be attentive when they spell out their manifesto.

Obiagelli:
are those on the highway? Lasg government didn't ban Okada entirely but gave categories of bikes for different types of roads.

Madam, what does this look like to you? Inner street?

Long but not an insightful writeup.

My Beef with LASG is its failure to construct the 4th Mainland Bridge that was promised in 1999 and 2003 by Senator Tinubu, and 2007/2011 by Gov Fashola to ease traffic in the city. Also, the issue of Multiple Taxation, Inadequate govt built Low Cost Housing Estates to address accommodation problem (Similar to what Lateef Jakande did). The Eko Atlantic City and fancy Bridge to me does not really have effect on the masses compared to the above listed. However, they provide means of livelihood.

**As for KAI and Police Arresting Street traders and Okada Riders, It is an offence to street trade in Lagos State. Especially on the highway. It is not even safe for both the sellers and the buyers. They constitute traffic and also what happens when a Vehicle fail brake? Its better trading is done in Markets. there are many markets in Lagos that are relatively affordable to lagosians.

As for Okada ban, I see it as a welcome development.

ola6:

Each country has its own innovative solution that works best with its given population density. Okadas, yes, they are not elegant but hey, it reduces unemployment. Do you know how it feels to be done with University so as to ride okada and make ends meet? Yet, one man in Ikeja will just send his boys to seize them, just to resale them in neighboring states. YES, the seized okadas are re-sold to citizens of Ogun state and Oyo state. We masses are no fools.

I believe PDP has a good and balanced policy concerning mass transportation. I will be attentive when they spell out their manifesto.

Wow, I wasn't aware that the seized bikes were sold, that's not cool. Even if they sold them because of some law, it would be nice if the money was returned to the bike owners.

With that said though, I still believe the PDP should campaign with futuristic ideas, as opposed to ideas like bringing bikes back to the highways.

They can extend the BRT scheme, have legitimate bus stops that show the routes of the BRT busses based on their numbers, they could even take that a step further by providing estimated arrival times.

Also the PDP should at least try to convince us that they can progress with the Lagos rail faster than the APC.

Regardless of Faholas flaws, I have always viewed the BRT scheme and Light rail system as commendable though not thorough enough.

UchihaMadara:
Wow, I wasn't aware that the seized bikes were sold, that's not cool. Even if they sold them because of some law, it would be nice if the money was returned to them.
With that said though, I still believe they should campaign with futuristic ideas, as opposed to bringing back bikes.
They can extend the BRT scheme, have legitimate bus stops that show the routes of the BRT busses based on their numbers, they could even take that a step further by providing estimated arrival times.
Also the PDP should at least try to convince us that they can progress with the Lagos rail faster than the APC.
Regardless of Faholas flaws, I have always viewed the BRT scheme and Light rail system as commendable though not thorough enough.

Where do you think ten of thousands of seized okadas go to? Fashola's backyard? LOL. Its RE-SOLD to generate money. Where this money goes to, I don't know. Whether to Tinubu or Fashola or Lastma.

PDP knows they have to perform when they are in. Lagos state citizens are too enlightened for any nonsense. They must OUT-PERFORM Fashola to remain in Government after 2019. THEY MUST and THEY KNOW!!! Any thing short of that and Tinubu continues to rule.