2023: We Have Laid Foundation For 20 Years, APC Banters With Oppositions To Retain Lagos

Speculations are that the ruling party in Lagos State might be struggling with oppositions in the state to retain its stand at the forthcoming polls.

Naija News reports that while the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) has told other opposition political parties to play its games and stop blaming it for attacks on them, some opposition parties have opined that the ruling APC is doing all in its power to frustrate their campaign efforts.

This is against the backdrop of reported attacks on some opposition parties in the state during their campaign since the start of the election campaign period.

Naija News earlier reported that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Abdul-Azeez Adediran popularly known as Jandor, has said that thugs chased his deputy, Funke Akindele out of Ketu fruit market, while one of his supporters was also stabbed on Tuesday.

Jandor stated that Funke had to hurriedly leave the campaign after she was chased by hoodlums in the market. But Adediran’s campaign train moved round some streets in the council.

Jandor condemned the incessant attacks on his campaign train by political thugs.

He confirmed that his campaign train had come under attack in the council and armed thugs had stabbed one member of his security team.

Adediran stated that his convoy has been under various attacks after he kicked off his tour to 245 wards on Oct. 19, 2022, adding that some of his followers including journalists have been injured.

This platform understands that the PDP said the ruling party was intimidating its supporters, harassing market women, and instructing commercial buses not to convey their members.

The Lagos Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hakeem Amode, claimed that since campaigns started, the APC had been using the government apparatus to stifle them and to “intimidate our supporters, harass ordinary market women, remove our banners, prevent us from using billboards and went as low as instructing commercial buses not to convey our members to our presidential rally.”

He complained that their ward tour campaign in Alimosho was threatened, similar with that of Badagry too, as they were attacked by hoodlums loyal to the ruling government, adding that PDP banners are being allegedly damaged by the APC.

Amode submitted that ‘We have had situations where markets in Alimosho were locked because of the rousing welcome they gave to our deputy governorship candidate, Funke Akindele. The women were made to submit the souvenir (apron) we gave them, which we believed were needed by these women to aid their trade.

“Sometime last year, when our flag boys went for an early morning traffic storm to create awareness through the display of our party flags, they were attacked. Two people were wounded with machetes by hoodlums loyal to a known agency of the ruling party.

“For placement of our banners, we had to make do with the little space they left us. Then, we placed our banners on the highway after they had placed theirs. Before 24 hours, the banners were removed and replaced with those of the ruling party. We have video evidence of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, using the agency’s water truck to remove our posters on the road.” .

It would be recalled that last week similarly, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party ( LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, alleged that various unorthodox measures were adopted by the APC-controlled state government in the state to disrupt their campaign activities.

He said: “They are being told that their voter’s cards are not ready. There have been instances where we find people from the ruling party in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, offices sorting cards and separating cards that belong to non-indigenes, putting them aside so they don’t have access to those cards.

“We have seen this happen several times in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo. Some people are even complaining about it in Amuwo-Odofin and Surulere. So, we have tried visiting all of these places and talking to INEC staff on the ground, telling them that we are getting these reports and engaging them.

“I am hoping that we are also going to see the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, to ensure that our people are not disenfranchised in the forthcoming elections.

“We are civil people. We don’t behave like animals or believe that we should be oppressing other people to be able to win the heart of the populace. So, those are the kind of things that are being done in Lagos.”

Meanwhile, the ruling APC has dismissed all these allegations saying they have laid the foundation in the state for more than 20 years and don’t need anybody to help them win the forthcoming elections.

A chieftain of the APC in Lagos State identified as Joe Igbokwe, said the allegations were all lies, as the APC knew nothing about them.

He said “It is not happening and it is not going to happen. We don’t need anybody to help us win this election. We have laid the foundation for over 20 years. So, we are on top of the game and we know we are cruising to victory, given our works because we have antecedents, background, and track records. 

“Let them play their game and stop this blame game, it is not going to help anybody. We are not stopping.”