Re-election campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari in South-west states is not really in good shape as a result of unresolved disputes arising from the primary elections conducted in the states by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), THISDAY can report.
As aggrieved aspirants continue to defect from the APC to other political parties to pursue their aspiration, the intra-party conflicts in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Osun States, among others, may cost the president re-election if not nipped in the bud.
President Buhari is no doubt relying on the South-west to win the 2019 election. The situation is very critical in two states: Ogun and Ondo, where the governors though claimed are with the president, however allowed their key lieutenants to defect to other political parties.
In Ondo, for instance, some aggrieved aspirants with allegiance to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, last week, defected from the APC to the African Alliance (AA), citing irregularities and sharp practices that characterised the primaries in the state.
In Ogun State, members of the party, who should work for the success of the party, have dumped the party.
Last Thursday, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, the candidate preferred by Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to succeed him, dumped the APC and defected to the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) to actualise his gubernatorial ambition.
Akinlade, who is currently representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, said he won the APC governorship primary in Ogun, but the leadership of the party said the primary was won by Dapo Abiodun.
The defection gale which hit the APC in Ogun State also affected Mr. Mukaila Kazeem, who is currently the lawmaker representing Abeokuta North/Odeda/Obafemi-Owode Federal Constituency who has now pitched tent with the APM.
The duo said they were forced to leave APC, because of impunity and undemocratic norms.
At the state level, four members (majority leader, Adeyinka Mafe, Chief Whip, Idowu Olowofuja, Tunde Sanusi and Ganiyu Oyedeji) of the Ogun State House of Assembly also dumped the APC for APM.
However, the state executive members of the party have distanced themselves from any attempt to join the defection train to the APM.
In Lagos, the rivalry between two former governors of the state, Bola Tinubu and Raji Fashola has made the Buhari Campaign incohesive.
In what appears to be an emerging battle for the control of Lagos State, the, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Minister for Works, Power and Housing, has set a separate campaign group to secure 4.5 million votes for Buhari in the state.
Although the campaign group christened PMB 2019 was set up to canvass support for Buhari’s reelection, competent sources disclosed that the group with vast support base statewide was designed to be a formidable political group after the 2019 election.