₦airaland Forum

The results of presidential and parliamentary elections
have spurred the All Progressives Congress and the
Peoples Democratic Party to go back to the drawing
board ahead of Saturday’s governorship and state
Houses of Assembly elections.
There were strong indications on Saturday that the two
political parties had been meeting stakeholders in
states, where they were head-to-head in the March 28
presidential poll.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that intense house to house
campaigns were being carried out in Lagos, Benue,
Nasarawa and Adamawa states, where the differences
between the two parties were not wide in the
presidential election results.
According to the results released by the Independent
National Electoral Commission on Wednesday, the APC
got 792,460 votes in Lagos State, while the PDP had
632,327 votes.
In Benue State, the APC polled 293,296, while the PDP
had 253,134. In Nasarawa, the APC got 236,838 votes
and the PDP had 273,460 votes.
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that besides house-to-house
campaigns, the two parties would, this week, meet,
community leaders in many states to address low turn-
out of voters experienced during the presidential poll.
In Lagos, for example, out of 3,767, 647 people that
collected their permanent voter cards, only 1,678,754
were accredited for the presidential poll.
In Benue State, 1,607,800 voters collected their
Permanent Voter Cards, but only 754,634 turned up for
the presidential election.
In Nasarawa, 1,222,054 people got their PVCs, while
562,959 were accredited for the presidential poll.
An APC chieftain, who confided in SUNDAY PUNCH,
said, “We are confident of winning governorship
elections in Lagos, Benue, Nasarawa and Adamawa. I
won’t disclose all our game plans. What I can tell you
for now is that we will work on the low voters’ turnout
recorded across the country during the March 28
elections.”
The PDP national leaders had on Thursday met with its
36 governorship candidates in Abuja, where it was
gathered that they were directed to also work on low
voters’ turnout
“We will close the gaps between us and the APC in
Adamawa and Benue. We are confident of winning the
two states and Kaduna, which we lost in the
presidential poll,” a member of the PDP’s National
Working Committee, who pleaded anonymity because
he was not permitted to speak with the media, said.
Our correspondents gathered that the APC planned to
control at least 25 states after Saturday’s governorship
poll.
They include Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun in the
South-West. In the South-South, it was learnt that it
was hopeful of winning Rivers State, in addition to
Edo, which it currently controls.
The opposition party is targeting to triumph in five
North-Central states of Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau,
Benue and Niger where governorship elections will be
held on Saturday.
The APC, it was learnt, planned to win all the seven
states (Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina
and Jigawa) in the North-West and the six in the
North-East (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe
and Taraba).
It was gathered that it was working to wrest the
control of Ekiti, Ondo and Nasarawa states Houses of
Assembly from the PDP. Governorship elections will not
hold in the three states on Saturday.
For the PDP, besides Ekiti and Ondo, which it controls
in the South-West, and Kogi in the North-Central, our
correspondents learnt that it was targeting 21 more
states, making it 25.
Its focus for governorship poll, it was gathered,
include, Lagos, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa,
Cross River, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo, Benue, Niger,
Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara, Kaduna, Taraba, Bauchi,
Borno and Kebbi states
Investigations revealed that the PDP was working to
seize the control of the Edo State House of Assembly
from the APC.
In Ondo State, for instance, the APC has reached an
accord with some notable members of the PDP in the
state to ensure its candidates win the House of
Assembly election. There will be no governorship poll
in the state.
The accord was reached on Friday at Igbotako, the
home of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, a PDP stalwart in the
state, who convened the meeting.
In Ebonyi, opposition parties were said to be holding
secret meetings with Governor Martin Elechi for a
possible merger against the PDP ahead of Saturday’s
election.
A reliable source within the government told SUNDAY
PUNCH that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the
Labour Party and the APC were expected to collapse
into one party to possibly defeat the PDP.
In Lagos, the APC is meeting with several Igbo groups
in order to garner their support ahead of Saturday’s
governorship election.
Our correspondent learnt that during the presidential
elections, areas dominated by Igbo voted massively for
the PDP.
The local governments won by the PDP were Oshodi/
Isolo, Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Ojo, Amuwo Odofin and
Surulere.
In Anambra State, indications emerged that some
members of the PDP and the APGA may be planning to
defect to the APC following the announcement of the
APC as winner of the 2015 presidential polls.
Don’t be discouraged, Mua’zu begs PDP members
On Saturday, the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu
Mu’azu, appealed to members of the party not to be
discouraged by the outcome of the presidential election
which the party lost to the APC.
He said this week’s governorship election would
certainly provide the party a soft-landing after
conceding the presidency to the APC.
Mu’azu asked them to pick up “the pieces and ensure
that we return quickly to our old winning ways.”
Mu’azu added that there should be no room for voter
apathy, which he said was a major factor that made
the PDP lose the presidential election.
He said, “While our opponents were savouring their
famous victory, we should outflank them and corner at
least two-third of the states of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
“Our target in this remaining election should be to
retain our present states and then sink our teeth into
the heart of our political opponents and show that
their presidential victory is nothing more than a one-
off that won’t be repeated in a long while.”
The PDP chairman said he had reminded the party’s
governorship candidates that “one thing that won’t
happen in this race is the so-called bandwagon effect.
The reason is simple. Our party is used to bouncing
back whenever we experience a setback.”
He added that the PDP in the past 16 years of
democracy had maintained fair play consistently,
which he said the APC admitted in its response to
President Jonathan’s speech conceding to President-
elect, General Muhammdu Buhari.
He said members of the PDP must turn out in large
numbers on Saturday.
We will leave no stone unturned to retain our states
and win more — APC
On its part, the APC said it would leave no stone
unturned to ensure that it not only retains the states it
currently controls but also win states under the control
of other political parties, especially the PDP.
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, said this in a telephone interview with
SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on Saturday.
He was reacting to Mu’Azu’s pronouncement that the
PDP would win Saturday’s elections in order to return
to its winning ways.
Mohammed said the APC was poised to consolidating
on the successes it recorded at the polls last week by
securing a majority of states in order for the party to
deliver on its promises to Nigerians.
Reacting specifically to the plot by the PDP to
“capture” Lagos, Rivers and Imo states, Mohammed
said, “The three states, being states we already
control, let it be known that we will leave no stone
unturned to ensure they remain within our fold.
“All we are asking for is that the security forces should
be neutral and we insist that card readers must be
used because we will not tolerate the massive rigging
that characterised last week’s elections in Rivers and
Imo states.
“We will not accept the killing of our supporters as was
the case in Rivers. We are not afraid of meeting any
party at the polling booth, we only insist that electoral
laws be obeyed and all parties play by the rules.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/gov-poll-apc-pdp-in-fierce-battle-for-lagos-benue-others/

Lagos gonna be interesting. APC riding in the euphoria of their recent presidential election victory. The truth is most people wanted change at the federal level, which actually made their victory possible, but at the state level, especially in the SS and SE, it is going to be a different ball game altogether. Jimi Agbaje could even pull a shocker in Lagos.

if u ask me how say jimi may be good pharmacist but lagos need a sound mind some one that have the tenacity to serve not just good and lagos remember how this man win is party mandate also let look at it this way should we play partisan's or hart full politics we will lose like we have always done 4 d pasts 16 years pls my brothers and sister live d man or sentiment aside and vote the party

[color=#1980BC] Yoribas have always been volatile voters,forget the euphoria of Buhari as most just wanted the change by all means.Now having effected that,most will look closely at Ambode and Agbaje,most will notice thieffnubu behind ambode and the almost squeaky past records of Agbaje,his tenacity, intelligience even grudging respect from Fashola.....Most who voted for change will turn continue with the trend in Lagos not because of GEJ's moral boosting defeat for the PDP or Buhari's gloating victory.......but because of the golden name "Agbaje". [/color]

I think people are tired of PDP in Benue state, if rigging is prevented PDP might not win.

Lagos is very difficult for both of them PDP will put all their last arsenal into Lagos cause they need a state like Lagos to survive, kano is already gone.

Texcoco:
[color=#1980BC] Yoribas have always been volatile voters,forget the euphoria of Buhari as most just wanted the change by all means.Now having effected that,most will look closely at Ambode and Agbaje,most will notice thieffnubu behind ambode and the almost squeaky past records of Agbaje,his tenacity, intelligience even grudging respect from Fashola.....Most who voted for change will turn continue with the trend in Lagos not because of GEJ's moral boosting defeat for the PDP or Buhari's gloating victory.......but because of the golden name "Agbaje". [/color]

You are right, this is not applicable to Lagos alone, I think Oyo and Ogun state too will be under serious threat especially Oyo state, Oyo will vote you in once and throw you out later let's wait and watch. To be sincere I want APC to win Lagos so they can be with the ruling party for the first time, being opposition since 1999 affected them badly especially during OBJ's tenure, they also suffered under Gej you can imagine Lagos rail got delayed because the PDP government does not want to guarantee the loan to prevent them from using it to campaign.

Flash back... PDP biggest party in Africa

Presently, Biggest opposition in Africa.


The fort in presidency and lost woefully Same will happen again. Benue was my surprise bfor But not again it's purely Apc ds time

seunfly:
I think people are tired of PDP in Benue state, if rigging is prevented PDP might not win.

Lagos is very difficult for both of them PDP will put all their last arsenal into Lagos cause they need a state like Lagos to survive, kano is already gone.

PDP doesn't stand the slightest chance in Benue state. Even their flag bearer knows this. The other day he made a statement that "they've abandoned me in the middle of the road". Even the current governor has turned Akume's house in Judges' Quarters into his residence. He's trying to negotiate a soft landing. The Metropolitan Hotel and BCC's shares would make the ensuing drama very interesting.

I'm very sure he wouldn't mind cutting a deal with APC to work for them and sabotage Tarzor's chances (even though he has very little).

How can you trample on civil servants so much even to a point of telling pensioners to go to hell, that you are yet to pay the salaries of people that are still alive and working, so dead people shouldn't bother you. All these in an election week. About a month to election, Benue State University went on strike over unpaid salaries and he asked them to luck the gates and bring him the keys. He arbitrarily deducted monies from salaries of civil servants with the excuse that Abuja hasn't been forth coming on their allocations... Too many sins!!

The PDP youth Leader has decamped, the Deputy Governor is on his way (I hope they don't accept him), Aondokaa is on his way, etc.

PDP is dead in Benue.