Governors, parties, candidates, and other important stakeholders were engaged in a fierce competition for 28 governorship slots and 993 legislative seats yesterday, three days before the March 18 elections.
A flurry of alignments, re-alignments, endorsements, and high-wire intrigues have erupted across the states as a result of the numerous politicians’ concerted efforts to gain an advantage in the polls.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who received support from nine political parties on Monday, received support from Accord and the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC yesterday in Lagos. In essence, Sanwo-Olu currently enjoys the support of ten of the 18 officially recognized political parties.
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Solomon Enilolobo, a PDP House of Assembly candidate for the Abeokuta South 1 Constituency in Ogun, supported the APC Governor Dapo Abiodun’s bid for a second term.
However, in Kaduna, both the De-registered Political Parties of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter and the Labour Party, LP, declared their support for the APC Governorship Candidate, Senator Uba Sani. In addition, the Labour Party, LP insisted that its candidate will run and win the race to succeed Governor Nasir el-Rufai.
In the meantime, 14 governorship candidates, including PDP leader Pastor Umo Eno and APC candidate Obong Akanimo Udofia, have signed a peace agreement ahead of Saturday’s elections.
Why we backed Sanwo-Olu and the APC candidates — Accord The leadership of Accord in Lagos State backed Governor Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and all the APC candidates for Saturday’s elections.
At a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos State Chairman of Accord Dele Oladejo announced the endorsements based on Sanwo-Olu’s performance since 2019.
Oladeji said that members of the party in the state have been told to work for Sanwo-Olu’s reelection and that the party will also make sure that APC candidates for the Lagos House of Assembly win.
OPC agrees Also, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, President of the OPC, declared the group’s support for Sanwo-Olu at a briefing in Lagos.
“Today, the OPC declares that it fully backs Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. We believe that Governor Sanwo-Olu has had a significant impact on the State of Excellence’s landscape, life, and governance over the past four years. He said, “His undeniable performance dictates that he should be allowed to continue in office for another four years so that he can further advance the lofty and people-oriented projects and programs he has started since 2019.” Afolabi also expressed concerns about the breakdown of law and order during the elections and promised that the OPC would fight electoral violence.
“The OPC will do everything in its power to protect these rights, which are guaranteed by the Constitution, and it will not allow any individual or group to deprive anyone of these rights.
OPC won’t endure discretionary savagery. He stated, “We strongly advise that anyone who has any plan to disturb the peace or prevent citizens from exercising their freedom of franchise for candidates and political parties of their choice, such a troublemaker should kill that plan.” He added, “We strongly advise that such a troublemaker should kill that plan.”
Lana, the SDP governorship candidate in Oyo, announced that he would not be running for Makinde because some SDP leaders in Oyo had sold out for a pittance and declared for the opposition without the consent of other stakeholders.
He claims that as a direct consequence of that action, other stakeholders made the decision to make a decision that will serve the aggrieved and neglected party members, the candidates, and the general populace of Oyo State.
He came to the conclusion that the stakeholders of the party decided to join the PDP and support Governor Seyi Makinde after numerous consultations.
In part, the statement said: During my radio interview on Lagelu FM on Saturday, March 11, 2023, I adequately informed the general public that the actions I would take would be determined by the decisions of all candidates, particularly the Social Democratic Party’s candidates for the House of Assembly, for which I am the flag bearer.
We have also held extensive discussions. We have spoken with some party national officers and my supporters from trade unions, religious organizations, market associations, and traditional rulers.
“As you are aware, I was questioned in almost every radio interview I attended whether, as it had become the custom at this party, I would also resign at the conclusion of the day. I always responded no, even though I knew I was among members with solid ideologies and was a principled individual.
“I firmly believed that the victory that the people of Oyo State deserved would come from preaching my gospel of issues and ideas.
However, the past few weeks have shown me wrong. Some people only held the beliefs of money politics and buying votes to win. In point of fact, the moment some members of the party realized that funds gathered solely for electioneering would not be distributed among them, I became persona non grata.
“We came to the conclusion, after a number of discussions, that the best thing for Oyo State right now is to support a really progressive candidate. A 70-year-old woman’s emotional statement that Governor Seyi Makinde not only promptly paid her pensions but also cared for elderly women and men during the COVID-19 pandemic caught our attention.
“This is the quality of a person who has set out to make history and make sure that the poor in our state are helped.
“We have resolved to assist Engineer Seyi Makinde in achieving his dreams for our state,” the statement reads. “After discussing with him, we decided that Engineer Seyi Makinde needs help from all capable hands within and outside the state.” As a result, we have decided to urge all of our hordes of supporters to cast large votes for the PDP’s Seyi Makinde on March 18, 2023, in order to re-elect him as Governor of Oyo State.
Why we won’t join the PDP in Kaduna — LP Campaign Council In Kaduna, the LP has reiterated that its candidate for governor, Jonathan Asake, will not quit to run against his PDP opponent, Isa Ashiru Kudan, as had been suggested.
Malachiy Gwatiyap, Coordinator of the LP Presidential Council in the state, stated at a press conference in Kaduna that the LP’s candidate will win the governorship election easily.
He stated, ” We have learned that some PDP politicians who are about to retire and are determined to win power at any cost are participating in a defamation campaign against the Labour Party. They have unsuccessfully employed deceptive propaganda against our candidate, Jonathan Asake; Some Christian clergy have been deceived into thinking that the Labour Party has agreed to collaborate with the PDP to defeat the APC, their common foe; In an effort to discredit us in front of the people, they have accused our candidate of being sponsored by the APC.
“Not only is this particular tactic false, but it also tries to disparage our candidate’s persona and character. We wish to make it abundantly clear that none of these allegations are true.
Everyone is aware that Jonathan Asake, our candidate in person, is the only candidate who does not have a legal case to answer in any court. The credentials and qualifications of our candidate are not in question. Our candidate has worked as an adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a dynamic and outspoken legislator in the National Assembly, and a lecturer previously.
The PDP should stop manipulating and plotting to get our candidate to negotiate with respectable elders and politicians. This is manipulative behavior that makes a party with good intentions look bad. The race will continue without Jonathan Asake. He is in the competition to win, similarly as all Work Party candidates for the State Place of Gathering.”
The Amalgamation of De-registered Political Parties of Nigeria, Kaduna State Chapter declares support for APC Governorship Candidate Senator Uba Sani. De-registered parties back Uba Sani.
Amb. is the forum’s secretary. At the NUJ Secretariat in Kaduna, Matoh Hyugene Yakubu told reporters that the decision was made after extensive discussion with members and a network of stakeholders and opinion leaders.
He claims that Senator Uba Sani is a high-performing senator, an award-winning (ICPC certified) anti-corruption activist, and a civil society activist. “These extensive consultations provided us with the mandate to make the declaration of support in this press conference.” Some political parties have decided to create a political gimmick they call the “Muslim-Muslim” ticket, sending unsettled signals to us.
“The APC only gave voice to our women, who have been kept in the backyard for a long time; this phrase is a creation of the opposition in Kaduna State; And the performance of women in governance in Kaduna State over the past four years is abundantly clear to all.
“We make it crystal clear that Sen. Uba Sani and Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe working together is a deliberate attack on the political balancing act.
“On behalf of our teeming membership in the 23 LGAs, wards, and communities, on this 14th day of March 2023, we the Amalgamation of de-Registered Political Parties Kaduna State chapter, do hereby declare that we wholeheartedly endorse the candidature of Senator Dr. Uba Sani of the APC as the preferred choice for the Governor of Kaduna State in the election scheduled for March 18, 2023,” reads the statement.
In Akwa Ibom, 14 governorship candidates, including Pastor Umo Eno of the PDP and Obong Akanimo Udofia of the APC, signed a peace agreement yesterday in front of stakeholders. The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, Akwa Ibom State command organized the signing of the Peace Accord for the 2023 election as well as interactions between stakeholders.
Senator John James Akpanudoedehe of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Mr. Iboro Otu of the African Action Congress (AAC), Senator Bassey Akpan of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Mr. Peter Udoh of the Labour Party (LP), and Eyo Ekong of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) were among the other candidates who participated in the ceremony that was held at the Police headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia
State security chiefs, the State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), a representative of traditional rulers, the State Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), as well as State Chairmen and representatives of political parties were among the stakeholders who attended the ceremony. Other participants included Emem Koffi of the Accord Party (AP), Obong Ita Ekpo of the APGA
Before signing the peace pact, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olatoye Durosinmi, urged the candidates to collaborate with security agencies to ensure free, credible, and fair elections.
In a similar vein, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Cyril Omorogbe, who was represented by Admin Secretary Emmanuel Ogbodu, urged all candidates and supporters to embrace peace in his brief remarks.
In the meantime, YPP Governorship Candidate Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, who gave a speech at the event, pleaded with security agencies to guarantee that polls would run smoothly.
I’m committed to keeping Akwa Ibom State peaceful. I can assure you that after our victory this weekend, we will build on new foundations in various sectors that will build a renaissance in all sectors of the Positive Impact Agenda for our people. My presence here today clearly demonstrates that we can only succeed in achieving our set targets when we have a peaceful society to lead the people.
In Abia, aggrieved members of the APC unite in support of Emenike. In Abia, aggrieved members of the APC made the decision to put an end to their quarreling and ensure that their candidate for governor, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, would win the election.
Leaders of dissident groups in several local governments in the Abia South zone announced that they had dissolved their parallel structures in order to work with Emenike, the party’s candidate for governor.
In a dispatch endorsed by all honest, the ward directors in Aba South Neighborhood Government, the wronged party individuals under the aegis bunch, containing factional ward directors and different chiefs said that they have set out to embrace solidarity.
They stated that “the interest of the party is paramount and supersedes any personal interest” and that they would “work harmoniously to ensure the success of the party in the forthcoming governorship/state assembly elections.”
Emenike assured the party members that their status as Abia APC members has not been diminished in any way as he greeted them back.
“All of us are APC members. He added, “I want all of us to forget the past disagreements in the party and let us work together for the interest of our party.” “What unites us is greater than what divides us,” he said.
Ogun State House of Assembly candidate for Abeokuta South 1 State Constituency on the PDP platform, Mr. Solomon Enilolobo, has shelved his ambition and declared support for Governor Abiodun’s bid for a second term. PDP Assembly candidate backs Abiodun.
Enilolobo, who led his supporters to the governor’s residence in Iperu-Remo to defect to the APC and announced his resignation from the House of Assembly race scheduled for Saturday, stated that the PDP in Ogun is not only lawless but also has a complete disregard for the rule of law.
He stated, ” The PDP is a sinking ship whose demise has come to an end, and on March 18, it will finally be put to rest.
In a similar vein, it is reported that eight political parties have initiated efforts to form alliances. It was learned that Dr. Samuel Adeyemi, the Action Alliance’s candidate for governor, may be chosen by the parties as the state’s consensus candidate.
According to reports, the parties that are a part of the Conference of Political Parties and the Inter-Party Advisory Committee met privately in Abeokuta to discuss the idea of selecting a candidate for the governorship.
In the state, ten other groups were said to be joining forces with the AA, APC, PDP, or African Democratic Congress, or ADC, in addition to the APC, PDP, and ADC.
Yesterday’s meeting revealed, according to a source, that the parties would present their consensus candidate by Thursday.
