SOUTH WEST IS THE BATTLEGROUND FOR THE 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (LAGOS)
Written by Suleiman A Gamawa
No doubt Jonathan can boast a formidable support base in the South-South region, where he hails from, and the parts of the South-East, Buhari will surely enjoy a huge followership in the North. Getting majority votes in their respective comfort zones may not be a tough row to hoe for the two candidates though, but to win the race would require them winning majority of the votes in the South-West(Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo ) is generally seen as the main battleground for the 2015 presidential election.
The two powerful presidential contenders President Jonathan and former head of State Gen. Buhari would obviously save the best of their outing campaigns in the South-West,part of the country where the February election would be won and lost.
We need to looks at the constituents in South west region to determine how the votes would be cast in these states.
(2011 South-West data by INEC)
1. EKITI.............750,753. Voters
2. LAGOS..........6,247,845. Voters
3. OGUN...........1,869,326. Voters
4. ONDO...........1,558,975. Voters
5. OSUN............1,293,967. Voters
6. OYO..............2,577,490. Voters
TOTAL: .......... 14,298,356. Voters
2. LAGOS STATE:
Lagos the the Nigerian largest urban area. Known as Center of Excellence and the heart of south-western region and is the former capital city of Nigeria and is the 2nd most populated state in Nigeria (after Kano) with about 9 million people in 3,577 square kilometer of land making it the most populated density state in Nigeria. (Density is 2,500/km) Lagos State was created on May 27, 1967 by virtue of State (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Decree No. 14 of 1967. The state capital is Ikeja with 20 Local Government Area. The majority of the people are Yoruba.
Even in the state political system like state Assembly speak Yoruba As second official language for discussion after english. The State is Governing By APC. The present governor Babatunde Fashola is APC but in the 2015 general Election the State are gradually turning into a two-course race between the ruling APC and its main Opposition, the PDP.
The two rival (PDP and APC) parties have since returned to the drawing board after their primaries that generated controversies and conflict that leaders of the party on both sides succeeded in addressing. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC strongman succeeded in persuading aggrieved aspirants and their followers after the state governorship primaries won by his alleged ‘anointed’ candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode. Acoording to the Nigerian News paper reveal the situation.
The aftermath of the PDP primaries in the state was almost similar to that of the APC. Before the PDP governorship primaries, two names were ringing a bell: Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Mr. Jimi Agbaje.
Obanikoro, who was being touted as the favourable candidate to win the primary election, did not emerge as the winner. Agbaje’s victory at PDP governorship primaries in Lagos generated enthusiasm among the people of the state.
It took the intervention of the PDP national headquarters and the presidency to douse the tension and appeal to Senator Obanikoro to withdraw the case he instituted against the party in court.
Since General Muhammadu Buhari has kicked off his campaign in Port Harcourt and President Goodluck Jonathan kicked-off his campaign in Lagos, residents of the state have been responding to their campaign. Many among the residents in Lagos frowned at President Jonathan’s mode of campaign, which they said was more of an attack on the opposition candidate than about telling the people of his achievement in office and how he intends to improve on the achievements.
The general elections in Lagos would be different from that of 2007 between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the PDP. Residents of the state are of the opinion that the opposition will give the ruling party a tough competition. The last Thursday flag-off of Jonathan’s campaign in Lagos coupled with a statement credited to Agbaje that the South-South would cripple Nigeria’s economy if President Jonathan did not win the February 14 presidential election, has been viewed by many as one way to blackmail people to vote for Jonathan.
In contrast, the APC image has continued to soar by the day. Our correspondent was around when the party’s governorship candidate visited the State Secretariat last Monday and workers trooped out to celebrate him when he is yet to contest for the position.
Oladele Shodimu, a civil servant in the state, said, “Our president has failed to convince me that I should vote for him. After spending six years at the presidency, he still put blames on his predecessors in office. He ought to have gone beyond that. We want a president that will discuss issues. What has he in store for Nigerians to arrest the sorry situation we found our economy and our naira in?”
As it stands, Buhari and Ambode are more favoured than President Jonathan and Agbaje in Lagos state.
Question:
Who will win Lagos Buhari Or Jonathan ?
Article By: Suleiman A Gamawa
No comments:
Post a Comment