The candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party Mr Jimi Agbaje may not have had all things working for him in his quest to occupy the number one office of the state like he has this time around considering the crisis rocking the ruling party APC in Lagos state. The crisis that saw the sitting governor being denied from his second term ambition which has further degenerated the crisis and may be working in favor of the major opposition party.
Though efforts are ongoing by the newly national constituted committees of the party to resolving with all the aggrieved members to improving her chances in the forthcoming general elections which remains a hard nut to crack as some of the supporters still feels it’s a medicine after death and may not yield any useful result especially those from the camp of the governor who feel that he does not deserve the ill treatment meted to his office and to his personality as a sitting governor. One cannot but wait to see the outcome of the reconciliation committees.
From indications the party may be heading to the general elections with so much aggrieved members couple with many Lagosians who are sympathetic to governor Ambode despite his pledge to work for the success of the party but the challenge remains how effective he will be in convincing his supporters across the state to do same.
Governor Ambode an indigent of Epe constituency, one of the major divisions of Lagos state from the acronym IBILE which represents Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe. Epe zone indigenes are quite aggrieved with the feeling of being rubbed of their position to serve out her eight years of two four years terms in the prestigious Lagos House. The party may be facing a protest votes from this division who were not considered in the new political structure not even the deputy governor position.
While Ikorodu division remains the home of Jimi Agbaje a major contender towards the election may enjoy the home support of his constituents in the election with the hope of replicating the kind of development Epe has attracted under the reigns of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode not minding some of the wigs in the the APC from the axis. Though many still believe that he (Jimi) is yet to capitalize on the crisis of APC to launch his campaign through the social mediums to instigate the electorates against the ruling party.
For Badagry and Ikeja divisions which till date represent areas with the bulk votes but currently subjected to untold hardships resulting from ongoing and long abandoned projects may sway votes to the opposition party except there are urgent or immediate palliative measures to ease the pains going into the elections. Residents of Alimosho and her environs are currently under intense pressure of the agonies of assessing other parts of the state due to the ongoing BRT project on the Abeokuta Expressway may decide to deal with the party that have brought such an untold hardship on them. Also the number of non-Indigenes in the most populated LGA who are still to forget the pronouncement of the Oba of Lagos during the last election where he ordered them to be drowned in the lagoon for failure to support Ambode.
Sanwo-Olu undoubtedly will sail home in the Lagos division representing his home however the crisis rocking the party may rear its ugly head if not we’ll managed. So far Jimi Agbaje may be more luckier this time around than ever in his political career and his quest to occupy the Lagos house for the next four years, yet he has to work even harder than he has done in his previous outings. His choice of deputy as a core professional may also be a plus to him as the corporate world desire a free state from the strong hold of Jagaban on Lagos state as Sanwo-Olu is believed to be nothing but a stooge of the lion of Burdilon.
The year 2019 may be the last chance for Jimi to give his last shots to the exalted office of Lagos State governorship hence the need for him to fight the last fight with all his arsenals to earn him the position or get ready to retire to political oblivion afterwards. With the days running out to the general elections Lagosians will only wait to see how these chances will be optimized and how the Jagaban will use his already existing structure to retain his position in Lagos State politics.
Also, at some quarters the feelings is that Lagos state will have a vibrant and unprecedented development if the opposition candidate (Jimi) emerges as the next governor of Lagos State, as he will want to make a statement that the ruling party hasn’t done anything spectacular more so the need for Lagosians to really know what has transpired in Lagos state in the last two decades with claimed and counter claims of some misdeeds”
As the game of politicking of the gubernatorial race unfold, we hope it will be violent free, fair and the best candidates for a better Lagos State wins.
