Sanwo-Olu battles fragmented opposition in Lagos

Since the race for the 2023 governorship contest in Lagos commenced with the parties’ gubernatorial primary elections earlier in the year, the debates have all been about the chances of incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, to secure another term of four years in office.

The gubernatorial election in the state will take place on 11 March 2023, according to the electoral calendar of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to the list, which is still being challenged in Court by some political parties and guber aspirants; fifteen political parties have candidates for the governorship election in Lagos next March. These include the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), the Accord Party (A), the African Action Congress (AAC), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the African Democratic Party (ADP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Also cleared by the electoral body to field candidates in the gubernatorial contest next year alongside others are the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the National Rescue Movement (NRM), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as well as the Young Progressive Party (YPP). Other political parties with flag-bearers in the race are the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the Action Peoples’ Party (APP), and the Boot Party (BP).

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However, pundits are of the opinion that the next governorship race in the state is more likely to be a three-horse race among the APC, PDP and the LP. Unlike in the past when it was always a race between the ruling APC and the leading opposition party, the PDP, the Labour Party is putting up a strong showing as the contest progresses. Many analysts have put this down to the alleged influence of the party’s presidential candidate among the youths.

The governorship candidate of the LP, Gbadebo Vivour-Rhodes, flagged-off his campaign last week at Ijegun area of the state in the Alimosho Local Government Area. He vowed that his party would win the election as he was ready to tackle the infrastructure deficit in the state. Vivour-Rhodes and his supporters say they want to take over the administration of Lagos from the ruling party in 2023 to show Nigerians Lagos can still work better.

Similarly, PDP’s governorship candidate, Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor also kicked off his campaign last Thursday. He expressed confidence to take over the rein of power from the incumbent, Governor Sanwo-Olu in 2023. “For things to really work in Lagos, we need a truly independent helmsman,” Jandor stated. For both the PDP and LP candidates as well as their supporters, Sanwoolu and the APC must be stopped from being elected at all cost.

The incumbent governor started the campaign for his second term in office recently and also reiterated the confidence of his party. He began the campaign at the closing of the ninth edition of the Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit. Exuding a lot of confidence, the governor said he was the best among the governorship candidates in the state, based on his administration’s track record since 2019. He said the APC remains the darling party of the people of Lagos state.

The governor was optimistic that Lagos State residents will re-elect him. “Today is the day that INEC officially flagged off campaigns for governorship and House of Assembly elections. There is no better time for me to do my official flag-off than at an economic summit like this, where we are talking about our city, our people, and Greater Lagos. What we are talking about is real; people can feel and they can see it. Some people can come here to claim anything.