Following last week’s presidential and National Assembly elections, in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) narrowly won in the Southwest, there had been palpable fears among APC leadership on the expectation towards the governorship elections billed for next Saturday. To this end, the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is said to be worried about the development, has set machinery in motion to pacify aggrieved members and reposition the party in the region. Some close aides of the APC leader disclosed to Saturday Telegraph that Tinubu was not pleased with the result and he is poised to change next week’s outcome to a better result.
One of the aides, who had been with Tinubu for many years, explained that, aside the ruling party’s poor showing in the entire zone, the former governor of Lagos State was particularly angered by the outcome of Lagos results, as such, he would be meeting with major opinion leaders, students, youth leaders and political associates as well as others that could make things happen within the Southwest. “Oga was not happy, that is a fact, and that is why he is moving powerfully after the election, to rejig things, in order to ensure that the South West remains in the APC fold. You can imagine us losing Ondo and Oyo states. It was a big blow.
“The entire result was a shame indeed. In Lagos, we won by just 130,000 votes, imagine that, in our stronghold. How could that have happened? It means many people are not happy with the leadership,” the aide revealed. Another aide of the former governor explained that the APC leader is already in talks with some power brokers in the Southwest and about to reach out to those, who are proving to be tough within the APC and other parties. He said that in no distant time, many people, including big names within the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would be seen defecting to the APC. “That is why Oga is meeting all groups and notable individuals. That will happen soon, probably immediately after the election, in order to ensure that we retain our hold on the region.
“Though there is 90 per cent assurance that we are winning the governorship elections in the region, it is still not out of place to reach out to those that are aggrieved. “You will soon see them moving into the APC family, the talks have begun and it will take full blast after the governorship elections. The South West remains our zone, there is no way we will let it go”, the aide said.
As the above picture shows, they all gathered at Bola Tinubu’s residence at Bourdillon in one of such meetings in preparations for the coming governorship and House of Assembly elections especially that of Lagos state.
I fail to see what is jittery about a man moving around to ensure victory for his party. Our language often exposes our bias.