Lagos 2019: How Agbaje emerged PDP flag bearer

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently held its governorship primary to pick its flag bearer for next year’s general elections. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE who witnessed the exercise reports that the exercise, which lasted about 30 hours, was a keenly contested one between Mr. Jimi Agbaje who eventually clinched the ticket and his challenger, Mr. Deji Doherty.

THE recent Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary took place under very tight security. The exercise lasted about 30 hours, due to the late commencement of the exercise. Delegates and other stakeholders had a hectic time accessing the venue, because of the mammoth crowd that stormed the venue. For security reasons, prospective participants were not only frisked, but must prove that they were invited for the event. This was part of the reasons voting started very late; behind schedule.

Observers who witnessed the event commended security men for doing a fantastic job, by ensuring that the exercise was not disrupted. The general expectation before the commencement of the exercise was that the primary would be rancorous. It was against this background that stern-looking and no-nonsense policemen and members of civil defence corps were dispatched to the venue to maintain law and order.

Those who eventually scaled through the security screening said the experience was a hectic one and that they were already worn out by the time they were eventually admitted into the complex. Some spent over three hours struggling to find their way into the complex. Prospective participants whose names were missing from the delegates’ list were prevented from going in.

A stakeholder told our reporter at the venue that the rigorous was meant to avert trouble, because some social miscreants were there purposely to foment trouble. What many delegates experienced during the screening almost made Jimi Agbaje, who eventually picked the party’s governorship ticket after the primary, to lose confidence in the entire exercise.

But, he was reassured that it would be transparent, free and fair at the end of the day.         The chairman of committee that organised the primary, Senator Victor Oyofo, made it clear to Agbaje and other stakeholders that he would conduct an exercise that would stand the test of time.

Oyofo told those complaining to be patient, to allow the process to unfold, because he believed everyone would be proud of the arrangements the party had put in place for a free and fair exercise at the end of the proceedings.

Thus, even though news filtered to those inside the complex that some aggrieved members of the party were addressing a press conference in another part of Lagos, the shadow poll went on unperturbed.

It was common knowledge that there were some unresolved issues between those loyal to the Chief Olabode George camp and the Agbaje group before the primary. As a result, the acrimony over these issues reared its ugly head during the primary.

It was obvious that the George camp rooted for Deji Doherty during the primary. Those loyal to the former Deputy National Chairman (Southwest) had mobilised delegates to ensure victory for Doherty. But, the opposing camp equally engaged in last minute mobilisation to convince delegates that its principal was fit to wear the crown.

Despite the initial hiccups, it was a successful primary. At the end of the exercise, Agbaje polled 1,100 votes, against Doherty’s 724 voters. Announcing the results after what observers described as a tasking and exhaustive process, Oyofo said it was free, fair and credible.

His words: “The exercise which commenced yesterday and was concluded today was keenly contested. The election portrayed what our democracy should look like. Since the votes of both aspirants have been collated and counted, by the powers conferred on me, I declare Chief Jimi Agbaje as the winner of the contest. I believe that he would be the next governor of Lagos State.”

In his acceptance speech, Agbaje gave reasons why he decided to contest for the Lagos State governorship once again, adding that it was time the PDP ruled the state. He called on all to bury their differences and work for his emergence as the next governor.

The PDP flag bearer said the party has the capacity to turn the state around, if given a chance by the electorate. He said if party members are prepared to work as a team, the PDP would occupy Government House, Alausa in 2019. He said it was not a personal ambition, but collective effort to make Lagos better.

He added: “There is need for us to free Lagos from the disease that had affected it. In few weeks, I will be explaining why the state is seriously infected by a disease. All other diseases that had affected the state were due to the symptoms of this disease.”

Agbaje maintained that he would defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the coming election. He said he would build on his 2015 records to ensure that his strategy scales through this time around.

The PDP standard bearer in Lagos State said the party made giant strides in the 2015 governorship election and that it lost the polls by a narrow margin.  He said: “We recorded so much in the 2015 election and we have to build on it. I believe this is the reason the party members decided to elect me again. And that gives me the confidence that we will win next year.”

His opponent, Doherty, who displayed a high sense of sportsmanship, said he would work with Agbaje to ensure that the party’s dream of ruling Lagos becomes a reality. Doherty added that Lagos could only be won by the PDP when the party approaches the election as a united entity, to convince Lagosians that it has something better on the table for them. He said the present situation of things offers that opportunity for the party to take over Lagos Government House, Alausa.

Doherty said: “So far, the process is good. We have a much large delegate population. Though managing a crowd of over 2500 is not easy, I believe our country can do a lot better than we are doing right now and I believe that Lagos State can even be better than it is.

“A lot of people look at like it as if is the best thing in the world. We can be the best in Nigeria, but there is still a lot of rooms for improvement. I believe that we can make our giant stride when you tell our youth not to give up.”

Looking back, Doherty said he had always worked to support Agbaje, even when he lost the primary to him in the past. He added: “I remember that when I lost 2015, I worked for him.

The PDP is a party of the people; our party would always prefer the delegate system instead of option A4 of the APC.

“Once the process is free and fair, I am one person that will accept the will of the people. I ran 2007, 2011, 2015. I lost the three primaries and worked as the Director General of the campaign organisations of the candidates that won.”

Commenting on the Lagos primary, a chieftain of the Delta State chapter, Sunny Onuesoke, hailed the process, noting that it was a victory for Lagosians.

Speaking to reporters at Lagos PDP Secretariat, Onuesoke said the emergence of Agbaje was victory for Lagosians. He called on them to break away from the norms and witness more rapid development, by rallying support for the PDP candidate.

He said: “What Lagosians should understand is that Agbaje’s fortune of winning Lagos is brighter now than it was in 2015. We can still remember that with the APC solidly united, Agbaje narrowly lost to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Note that the APC is now turmoil. I am confident Lagos residents who need Agbaje will vote enmasse for him.

“I see Agbaje winning Lagos by landslide. Please, we need your thumb to make Agbaje the next governor of Lagos. You will be happy you did.”

But, political analysts say the PDP’s dream of ruling Lagos is an elusive one. They maintained that it would not be easy to wrest power from the ruling party, because it has been in full grip of the state for almost two decades.

They argue that the APC is present in all the nooks and crannies of the state, stressing that the recent defection of the former PDP chairman in the state, Moshood Salvador, has deflated the strength of the party.

Salvador announced his movement to the APC after battling to save his head from allegations that he was responsible for the death of former Apapa Local Government PDP chairman, Adeniyi Aborishade, who was murdered during a meeting.

Salvador said he could no longer be in the same party with George, who he accused of framing him and forcing him to decamp to the ruling APC. At a colourful ceremony to join the APC, he said Lagos is now a one party state and that the PDP was dead in the state.

The former PDP stalwart said his supporters and followers that spans over a million have equally defected with him to the APC.

Observers say in spite of the slight misunderstanding within the APC family in Lagos that Sanwo-Olu would win the next governorship election with ease. They maintained that it would be difficult for the PDP to dislodge the APC in the state, because of the deeply entrenched APC structure on ground.

One of such observers said: “The PDP could not win Lagos when it controlled the power at the centre, so what makes it believe it can muster the strength to take over the state at this point in time, when it is bereft of that advantage. Agbaje’s emergence would not be treated lightly; The APC would mobilise and deliver the state for Sanwo-Olu.

“The APC knows how difficult it was for the party to win the last governorship election when Agbaje flew the flag of the PDP.”