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Agbaje, Yoruba support and Lagos elections

By Omobolanle Ajetunmobi
30 March 2015   |   4:52 am
IN a recent media interview, a factional leader of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Gani Adams, said that only a few Yoruba are supporting the APC and that the major Yoruba groups are solidly behind PDP and the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 elections.

Agbaje-OKOKIN  a  recent  media  interview, a factional  leader  of  the Odua  Peoples  Congress (OPC),  Gani  Adams,  said  that  only  a few Yoruba  are supporting  the  APC  and  that the major  Yoruba  groups are  solidly  behind  PDP  and  the incumbent  President  Goodluck  Jonathan in  the 2015  elections.

In  Lagos  State in particular, he  said  the candidature  of  Jimi  Agbaje  as governorship  candidate  of the  PDP  in  the state  has  vastly  improved  the  chances  of  the  PDP.    The  reason  for  this  he said  was  the inaccessibility  of the  leader  of the APC  in  the state,  Bola  Tinubu  and  the  manner  of selection  of  candidates  for  political  office in  the APC which  he  said  had  been  selective rather  than  being  competitive  as expected  in  a democracy. Gani  Adams went  on to mention  political  groups and associations  that  had been  rebuffed  and cut  off  by  the  arrogance   of  the Tinubu  political  machinery  for  the past 16  years  in  the state.  He  mentioned  Afenifere, his  former  boss in the OPC  Dr.  Francis  Fasheun,  now leader  of  the revived  UPN,  Pentecostal  Churches  like  the  Redeemed  Church  amongst  others. What  is interesting  here  is that  grassroots  organisations  like  the OPC  of  either  the  Gani  Adams  or  Dr.  Fasheun  faction drive  political  mobilisation  and  participation  in  any  environment  and  it  is  unbelievable  that  both  factios in  Lagos  State  are  behind  the  Jimi  Agbaje candidature  for  governorship  of  the state  as opposed  to that of the APC  candidate   Akin  Ambode.  Again  this  provides  food  for  thought  on  the way  the administration  of the state  has  been  handled  by the present  ruling  party, the  APC  which  has  provided  the last two  governors  in  the state and is seeking  continuity  in  governance  through  the   candidature  of  Akin Ambode.

The  OPC  as  presently  constituted is a mass followership  organisation  in  the Southwest  and  is  well  organised  having  survived  its factionalisation . Indeed it  has  metamorphosed  into  a two in one socio -political  security  organisation  that  has  come to  command some respect  even  amongst  the Yoruba  socio -political  elite which  arrogantly ignored  its rise and birth  but which  now accepts  its relevance and  importance especially in the promotion of  security of the Southwest  geopolitical  environment which  is the OPC sphere  of  influence and  political  catchment area.

The  membership  of  the OPC  is derived  from  the masses  and grassroots  of the Southwest  and any party  claiming control  of  the area especially  in  Lagos must  reckon with  the organization  or  be digging its political  grave  in  broad  daylight.

The  membership  of the OPC  includes  vulcanisers, battery  chargers,  mechanics, drivers,  artisans, traders  and many  menial  workers  who  double   as security operators at night to eke a living from the  patronage  of  an  organization  to which they are fiercely  loyal   and  whose  word is law to them in the  way  and manner  they  conduct their  lives  and  business  and  ipso  facto  their  politics. It  is in this  context, therefore,  that  one should  look  at  the statement  credited  to  Gani  Adams  that  the leadership  of  the ruling  APC in  Lagos State  has not been  accessible hence the  attraction  of the candidature  of Jimi  Agbaje  of the PDP  for  the OPC  in the  Lagos  governorship  elections. This  is an open  endorsement  of the PDP governorship  candidate  that  gives a great  boost to his  chances  of winning   a free and fair election in the state  based  on one man  one vote at any time.

The  OPC’s endorsement  also  provides  opportunity  to  search why a political  party  like  the ruling  APC in  Lagos State  can afford  to  fritter away the support  of  a  mass  organisation  like  the OPC. One  reason  that sticks  out like  a sore  thumb  was the readiness  of the APC  for  the February  28  elections in the state when  INEC  had  not  made available PVCs  to  two-thirds  of registered  voters  in  Lagos  State. That  showed that the APC  was  not relying  on  the masses  of registered  voters in the state for  the election or it  would  have asked  that the election  be postponed so that  two-thirds  of registered  voters in the state should  not be disenfranchised  in the   February  28 elections. This  fact  alone  shows  why  the ruling APC  in  the state  can  afford  to ignore  a mass movement  like  the OPC in  its  mobilisation   of  voters  to vote  for  it in Lagos State. However,  it  is also  the   death  knell   of  the APC    as a party  in power  in the state  for  the last  16  years.

Such  dubious  APC’s    disregard  and  contempt  for  a mass  movement like  the OPC has  made  Jimi  Agbaje  of  the PDP  the sweet  bride  of the OPC  in the governorship  election  of  April  11  in  Lagos State.

To  the  OPC  leader  Gani  Adams and  millions  of OPC  members  and  Lagosians,  the governorship  election in the state  provides a grand  opportunity  which  must  not be missed  to  throw  continuity  in governance in the dustbin and turn a new page in governance  in the state  by voting in  Jimi  Agbaje  of the PDP  on April  11  as  the new  governor  of Lagos State.

• Ajetunmobi, a public commentator, writes from Lagos.

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