Guber elections: Shake up in Lagos as PDP stalwarts decamp to APC, 13 parties collapse structure for Sanwo-Olu

…..endorsement bank builds up as Afenifere leader, Pa Fasoranti endorses Sanwo-Olu’s re-election

By Moses Adeniyi

The gubernatorial race in Lagos has erupted a dynamic drumbeat with a political shake-up in the State as stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has been the major opposition in the State, abandoned the party, defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while declaring total support for the re-election of its candidate, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Trailing other joint endorsement by political parties, Governor Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday received the defection of key PDP stalwarts who declared their resolve to marshall their support base for his reelection at the polls on Saturday, March 18.

A former governorship camdidate of the PDP, Dr. Ade Dosunmu and Labour Party’s Lagos Central Senatorial candidate in the February 25 National Assembly poll, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri dumped their parties to work for the Sanwo-Olu’s re-election.

Dosunmu and Onitiri, who defected to APC with their bloc of supporters across Lagos State, declared their intentions to join the ruling APC and work for the party during Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly (HoA) elections.

They made the declarations on Wednesday during a meeting with Governor Sanwo-Olu and APC leaders at Lagos House, Marina.

Speaking during the event, the defectors said their resolve to work for Sanwo-Olu was informed by their perception of his achievements in the last four years and the character of his leadership of humility, openness and responsiveness.

Dosunmu, who defected to APC with key members of the PDP, Lagos Chapter, as well as some House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of the party, said their endorsement of Sanwo-Olu for re-election was in the interest of Lagos State.

In his declaration speech, Dosunmu said their decision to join APC was based on the dynamic leadership of president-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the manner with which the incumbent Governor Sanwo-Olu has been piloting the affairs of Lagos State since he assumed office about four years ago.

He said: “Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a man of exceptional dynamism, a listener, and a good crisis manager. I must state that his inspiring personal style of leadership is equally deserving of my humble commendation. The steady and self-assured way he has been piloting the affairs of Lagos State cutting across every sector with characteristic skills and sobriety is commendable. His great exploits in the areas of infrastructure development, youth empowerment, education, health, direct foreign investment, and transportation (rail and land transportation) among others are enormous.

“I want to urge all members of the APC in Lagos State to see this current political realignment as a unique opportunity for greater mobilisation, consolidation, and breaking of new grounds in the build-up to the Governorship and State Assembly elections. A vote for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a vote for strong collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria under the able leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This will no doubt bring unprecedented development to Lagos State and enhance the quality of life of its resident.

“My teaming supporters and I will spare no effort to work for wider acceptability and electoral victory for the APC – our new party, in Lagos State come March 18, 2023.”

On his part, Onitiri, the Chairman of the Elders Committee of the Labour Party, said Governor Sanwo-Olu is the most competent and most qualified among all the gubernatorial candidates.

He said: “We are here with our members to join hands with our able brother, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ensure that he has a second term by the grace of God. We are prepared to work with you because we know you are a tested and trusted hand.

“You are the most competent and most qualified. We have seen what you have done in the last four years. We are here to endorse you as a governor for the second term. Lagos State Prominent Indigenes are with you. We will campaign and vote for you.”

Also, Governor Sanwo-Olu received chairmen of 13 political parties, who are members of the Conference of Political Parties (CPP) who pledged their resolve to marshall the organs of their parties for Sanwo-Olu in the Saturday polls.

Sanwo-Olu while receiving the defectors, said the APC has the ambiance of togetherness to accommodate all of them, promising that every necessary adjustment to accommodate them will be well considered.

He commended all the defectors and assured them that he will not disappoint them for supporting his re-election.

This is just as the National leader of the apex Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, has endorsed the re-election bid of Sanwo-Olu, urging the electorate in the State to queue behind the APC candidate in order to consolidate on the achievements recorded in Lagos.

The Afenifere leader in a press statement said, Lagos is an important commercial city and the pride of the Yoruba race, saying the evolving physical and socio-economic developments of the city should not be thwarted.

He said the State would gain more under the incoming Tinubu administration than when it is in the hands of the opposition.

The elder statesman urged Lagosians not to make the mistake of buying into the gimmick of those bent on reversing the achievement Lagos had recorded.

Pa Fasoranti also described the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential election as “a reflection of the electoral will of the majority of Nigerians”, congratulating the former Lagos Governor for his victory.

The Yoruba leader said he aligned with impartial electoral observers to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a pass mark for the conduct of the presidential election, which he described as “free, fair and credible”, despite the challenges that threatened to derail the process.

He urged the electoral umpire to build on the gains of the presidential elections and improve on the feat recorded in the conduct of gubernatorial elections coming up next Saturday across the federation.

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to recognise and appreciate the achievements of the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is seeking re-election for a second term on the platform of APC. Lagos as the economic nerve centre of Nigeria and by extension of Yorubaland deserves the very best. Governor Sanwo-Olu has been through the mill and crucible of politics, business, and public administration, occupying various positions in government since 1999 and garnering requisite experience which he has displayed in the last four years to the admiration of all and sundry.

“I am convinced that these giant strides should be sustained in the city with the third largest economy in Africa. I therefore wish to join my voice to those of other patriotic Lagosians that there is need for continuity in the state by lending my support to the second term bid of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as governor of Lagos State. In addition, I believe that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as APC President will benefit Lagos State more if the state has an APC Governor to compliment whatever the President has for Lagos State.”

Pa Fasoranto acknowledged Sanwo-Olu’s achievement in provision of physical infrastructure in various sectors of the Lagos economy, including transportation, education, housing, security, health and agriculture.

He added that the response of Lagos State Government to stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was worthy and commendable.

He said: “Sanwo-Olu’s achievements include but are not limited to the Blue Line rail, Imota Rice Mill, Red Line rail, the Proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge, numerous housing projects in different parts of Lagos, and road projects across the state. These projects, when fully operational, will employ over a million Nigerians, mostly youths, thereby substantially reducing unemployment in the country.

“I am convinced that these giant strides should be sustained in the city with the third largest economy in Africa. I, therefore, call on the good people of Lagos State to come out en-masse on Saturday to cast their votes for the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.”

Recall NewsDirect had reproted that the Accord, Lagos Chapter, on Tuesday declared it has resolved to mobilise all it’s members and marshall its support machinery for the reelection of Sanwo-Olu, while dumping the Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, on grounds that his party is unprepared for Government.

Accord, Lagos Chapter, said its decision was informed by acknowledgement of the responsiveness of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Administration in Lagos, and the monumental stride recorded within his first four years in office.

Speaking at a briefing to declare the support of the Lagos State Chapter of the Accord for Sanwo-Olu, the State Chairman, Dele Oladeji, had said the choice of Sanwo-Olu has been informed by his responsiveness to critical events in the State over time, citing the recent PWD train/staff bus accident, which he said the credible response of the Governor was a reflection of a responsive government.

He lamented that if the Labour Party could fail in replying to an endorsement letter Accord addessed to it responsively for about a week, then its commitment to accountability would be questionable.

He further question that if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the platform of which Sanwo-Olu is running in the State could within a day reply to a notice of endorsement of its candidate directed to it by Accord, against the disposition of the LP, which is striving for power, then the disposition of the latter is a warning sign of its unpreparedness to rule.

“These are tempting signs of a party that is not ready to rule, that is not prepared for public service,” he said, mentioning that the sign informed the Accord’s rethink to withdraw its endorsement last Friday from the LP and go for the APC.

“We made our choice to go for the APC guber candidate (Sanwo-Olu), not by sentiment, but from his precedents and responsiveness so far.

“We have pledged in our letter that we are marshalling and mobilising all party members, executives and the voting public to vote and reelect Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a second term,” he had said.