Tomrrow’s election: Politicians dig in for survival, turn states to battlegrounds vanguardngr.com vanguardnews
By Clifford Ndujihe, Dapo Akinrefon, Vincent Ujumadu, Demola Akinyemi, Joseph Erunke, Rotimi Ojomoyela, Umar Yusuf, Ike Uchechukwu, Chinonso Alozie, Harris-Okon Emmanuel & Boluwaji Obahopo•No governorship elections in 7 states — Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Bayelsa, Edo, Anambra, Kogi
For the leading politicians, including those who won or lost out in the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly polls, tomorrow’s elections will make or mar them. It is, therefore, not surprising that they are digging in for what has become a battle for relevance or survival, a development that has turned most of the states into battle-grounds of sorts.
Indeed, Lagos Ohanaeze endorsed Sanwo-Olu, last Sunday, but the national body of Ohanaeze and some other Igbo groups disagreed and kicked against the endorsement of Sanwo-Olu, a development that led to more vigorous campaigns and lobbying by APC and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders. A victory for the APC will cement the leadership of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has bestrode the politics of Lagos like a colossus since 1999.
In Oyo State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, having lost the chance to return to the Senate, is throwing his weight around to ensure victory for his preferred candidate, Mr. Bayo Adelabu, of the APC.With the recent return of former governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala to the APC, Ajimobi is also banking on his achievements and incumbency factor to work in favour of Adelabu.
The governor warned that anybody caught trying to steal ballot boxes would be dealt with by the security agencies, adding that he was aware that arrangements were in place for peaceful conduct of the elections. Indeed, Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, assured of peaceful polls and warned potential trouble makers to stay away from the state before, during and after the elections in the state or risk the full wrath of the law.
Addressing newsmen in Calabar, yesterday, on preparation for tomorrow’s polls and crises plaguing the party, Usani boasted that despite the disagreement and rancour between him and the senator representing Cross River Central at the Senate over who was the true flag bearer of the party, he remains the authentic APC governorship candidate.
Enoh asked his supporters to shun rumours making the rounds that a court had stopped him from contesting the governorship election saying that the rumour was a cock and bull story. The party alleged that Fayemi initiated the plot and co-opted Akeredolu, who had earlier lost Ondo to PDP in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“No election is worth the blood of any Ekiti man. The terror group they used to rig presidential poll is still intact and we beg Governor Fayemi not to use Ekiti as a field to practice war strategies he studied. Instead let him go to the war-torn Sudan or elsewhere to display this,” he said. “PDP will be defeated on Saturday under a peaceful manner because the people have seen the lies and deceit of the party and have seen Fayemi as their true friend and that is why the elections have gone the way of APC. The PDP was being haunted by its past misdeeds and that was why they were raising baseless allegations.”
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