The Amalgamated Igbo Group in Lagos State and Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Lagos West Senatorial District, Otunba Segun Adewale, also known as Aeroland, has said there was the need for alliance among opposition political parties ahead of the March 11 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.
The Chairman of the Igbo group, Dr Femi Ferguson, made the position known when both parties met on Friday
He said at the meeting in Lagos that the group wanted a robust competition during the polls in order to get credible representatives in government.
Ferguson, also the President Ndigbo United Association, said that PDP, Labour Party and other opposition political parties would be involved in the planned merger ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections to challenge the status quo.
He said: “We want the people of Lagos State to know that an alliance among opposition political parties will take place soon, especially in this state.
“There is going to be a tsunami.
“It is not going to be as usual.
“We want a robust competition because democracy is all about competition.
“Therefore, we are arranging an alliance for a great tsunami accord in Lagos State and in so many states of the federation.
“I want to assure that before March 11 Governorship and House of Assembly elections, such an arrangement would have been perfected.
“This is on the front burner now.”
Ferguson cautioned all political parties to steer clear of rigging during the polls through bypassing of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, intimidation and other means.
On Saturday’s Lagos West Senatorial District election, Ferguson urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to review the outcome as voters in the district voted for the PDP since LP did not present any candidate.
He said that their records of results and votes recorded in INEC Form EC8A showed that the PDP candidate won the election in the district.
He said: “We all voted Aeroland in the 10 LGAs that made up Lagos West.
“We monitored the election in most polling units and our original results indicated that he won.
“We are not speculating, we have our facts, we have our results from the 10 LGAs.
“We are surprised when we heard different things during collations.
“We are asking INEC to reverse its declaration and give Adewale Certificate of Return.”
According to Ferguson, INEC must also look into the results of all candidates perceived to have been cheated by the outcome of the elections across political parties.
He said the group voted individuals in the election across party divides, including All Progressives Congress candidates.
Speaking, Adewale, who maintained that results recorded in INEC Form EC8A at the polling units showed that he defeated his main challenger from the APC, Dr. Idiat Adebule, said he was allegedly rigged out during collation.
The candidate said February 25 was the second time of his winning election in Lagos State without his mandate given to him.
On the merger, Adewale, a former Lagos State PDP Chairman, said both PDP and LP would be wasting their time, energy and resources if they went into the March 11 elections divided.
He added: “I don’t really know how far they (PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor) and LP candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour) can go on their own in their separate parties.
“Please, let us talk to GRV (Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour), his people, his sponsors and talk to Jandor too.
“They just have to come together.
“If they go divided into March 11 elections, they will be defeated.
“Even if they win, the mandate won’t be given to them.
“Winning election is very easy in Lagos because APC is not performing, but the opposition parties must come together.
“Based on experience, there is no way LP and PDP can go into this election their separate ways to fight (President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed) Tinubu’s APC and win.
“It is a waste of time.”
Adewale said that LP could not ride of the back of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to win the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
He said: “Let us combine the strength of LP with PDP and face the APC.
“In 2015, all oppositions came together to oust PDP from power at the centre, but now we are doing what is totally wrong.
“It is impossible to defeat Tinubu in Lagos without joining forces, and defend your votes.
“Do all you can now, have emergency meetings and let us have a direction ahead of the governorship election.
“I want us to have a synergy.
“I want us to fight together.
“Let the candidate that has advantage be the governorship candidate, while the rest positions are shared.
“Otherwise, it will be penny wise pound foolish.”
The Eagle Online is reporting that the incumbent, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is the governorship candidate of the APC for the polls.
Sanwo-Olu has since taken his campaign for reelection a notch higher after the presidential election in which all arsenals were deployed for Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate and former two-term Governor of Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the meeting at which Ferguson and Adewale spoke had in attendance Ndigbo leaders from various communities and groups.
