Leadership Of The APC Is Lobbying Leadership Of The PDP And Asking For Understanding That Will Allow It Retain Lagos In Exchange For Presidential Votes, Others. Worried by the possible, and imminent loss of Lagos State to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Jimi Agbaje, leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), The UNION understands, is now parleying with leadership of the PDP for a trade-off, theunion.com.ng report.
A source close to the PDP in Abuja, who does not want his name in prints told The UNION that already, no less than five meetings had been held between PDP and APC negotiators. Some of the meetings, our source said, were held at State House Marina and had APC leaders in attendance. According to our source, APC leaders at the meeting in Lagos pleaded with PDP representatives to allow APC retain Lagos in exchange for massive presidential votes from south west.
Though no agreement was reached at the State House Marina meeting which held recently, our source noted that PDP leaders at the meeting restated their firm belief in Agbaje defeating Akinwunmi Ambode in the April 11 governorship election. It was also alleged that some of the APC leaders who attended the Marina meeting, offered to give up other states in preference for Lagos. “They said they do not mind losing Ogun and Oyo so long as we allow them keep Lagos. But we told them that Lagos is as important to us as it is to them. The people who came to the meeting said they were sent by the APC national leader, but we are sceptical.
“We are sure of winning Lagos this time around and they are scared of it that is why they are seeking a deal,” our source said. Our source also informed that the APC leaders promised to deliver 70 per cent of Southwest votes to Jonathan in Saturday’s presidential election, an offer, The UNION understands, is enticing enough to get PDP’s consideration. “I understand that they also offered to deliver southwest to Jonathan 70 percent. But you have to be sceptical. This is politics. They may be sincere and they may also not be sincere. So, we are taking things calmly and as they come. But one thing is certain, if they are now making offers, it shows they are jittery and are sure to lose,” our sources added. Investigations by The UNION show that many residents of Lagos, across the ethnic and religious divide, may vote en masse for the opposition PDP following what was described as ‘disenchantment’ over the television documentary titled “The Lion of Bourdillon”, which exposed alleged corruption in the management of resources of the state.
Some Lagos residents spoken to expressed bitterness over what they call “multi-taxation” and the “lopsided, elitist development” programmes of the current governor, Babatunde Fashola, a stance that has been sharpened by the TV documentary on alleged corruption of the former Lagos governor and some of his close aides, including the incumbent governor. Feelers from Lagos streets indicate massive support for Agbaje though APC bigwigs are also said to be working hard to ensure that PDP does not take the state from them. Meanwhile, there are indications that the leadership of the APC is unhappy with the video-message of President Barack Obama of the United States which was relayed to Nigerians on Monday.
The UNION understands that the party had expected Obama to use opportunity of the address to lampoon President Goodluck Jonathan and also blame him for most problems facing the country at the moment. But a source close to APC said the party leaders felt disappointed that Obama did not “sing their song”. They feel he was rather hard on their candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. “They were disappointed. They had expected him to blame Jonathan for Boko Haram and corruption, you know, those sorts of things they say. But when Obama did not say that and rather called on the political leaders to hold back their followers and not to encourage violence in any way, they now started feeling that Obama was addressing their candidate. That is why some of them feel disappointed”, our source said on telephone. Obama had in the short video, while congratulating Nigerians on attaining another landmark in their democracy journey, cautioned against violence and urged political leaders to rein in their supporters against violent conduct before, during and after the election.
Source; theunion.com.ng report.
Source; theunion.com.ng report.
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