By Tunde Abatan
By now,Babajide Sanwoolu,the fourth governor of Lagos state,Africa’s fourth largest economy, in the fourth republic must have expended all his energy in what has become a campaign of his life to retain his seat for a second term in office.
The experience of Sanwoolu in the last three weeks when the result of the Presidential election came out has out him on the road,moving from street to street,jumping from market to campaign rallies to canvass for votes.
He had to because the result of the Presidential election,disprove all held notions,shattered myths of his party All Progressives Congress,APC in invisibility in the state .
At the centre of this is the newly reformed Labour Party,LP which had pushed the main opposition party,the People’s Democratic Party,PDP to the third position after defeating the candidate of the ruling APC,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by ten thousand votes.
The LP led by Peter Obi thus set a record and shattered long held myths of Asiwaju Bola Tinubus towering dominance of Lagos politics.
Ordinarily,by the depth of his performance and the fact that his party the APC,has ruled the state for twenty four unbroken years,he is supposed to recline in his chair licking his tooth waiting for the votes to roll in Saturday March 18.
But the opposite has been the case as Sanwoolu has rolled up his traditional long sleeve shirt,adjust his fez cap and commenced what amounts to the most rigorous campaign in the state to preserve his job..
Why wouldn’t he ?Gbadebo Rhodes- Vivour, the young but daring candidate of the opposition,LP,has changed the dynamics of Lagos as he is giving Sanwoolu and by extension,Lagos APC godfathers a run for their money.
During his four year tenure,Sanwoolu has never been drawn out by any party talk less of LP which has provided a strong third force in Lagos politics.
Yet,the relentless effort of Jide Adediran,the candidate of the PDP in Lagos is also a strong factor in who occupies Alausa seat of power in May this year .
Not surprisingly,Lagosians have deployed both the physical and spiritual to fight the two opponents of Sanwoolu.
Leading traditional rulers and traditional have spent last one week embarking on one ritual or the other,in their own way to ensure victory for Sanwoolu.
Situation in Lagos is replicated in Rivers where Sim Fubara of the People’s Democratic Party,PDP is also having headache in entering into the shoes of his benefactor Nyesome Wike,the fearsome governor who has successfully battled,his party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Now,Wike he is on a fight of his life to install his godson, Fubara.
Wike is not supposed to have problems taking into consideration his support of Tinubu to win Rivers vote during the presidential. election- at least to he expected Tinubu no d APC to rub his back in appreciation but Tonye Cole, APC candidate is not about to let go,he is giving Wike and Fubara fight of their life.
Another third force in Rivers, Magnus Abe is also not relenting as he is bearing his chest all over as to why Rivers people should vote for him and his party,the Accord party.
In a way Rivers battle is three pronged.
Another state where there will be a three cornered fight is Oyo where Seyi Makinde, the incumbent Governor also supported and indeed delivered votes for Tinubu.
But that may end there as Teslim Folarin,a senator appears to exude confidence that he may give Makinde a run for his money.
Having cleared the three senatorial seats for the PDP,he stands a better chance than the duo of Folarin and upcoming Adebayo Adelabu, retired grandson of stormy petrel of Ibadan politics,the late, Adegoke Adelabu.
As a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN, he has not only the financial war chest but the strong backing of a former governor,Senator Rasheed Ladoja..the promoted of Accord Party.
This Oyo like Rivers and Lagos is a three corned fight.
UpNorth Kano state, Ganduje,the governor of Kano state is also facing the biggest threat to his bid to hand over the reins of office to his deputy ,Nasir Yusuf Gawuna.
His number one threat is Rabiu Kwankwaso,the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP presidential candidate,who is bent on installing Abba Kabir Yusuf,popularly called Abba Gida Gida who has vowed to end the persistent water scarcity afflicting Kano.
As for Kwakwanso,his confidence in installing his surrogate received impetus from Kwakwanso who garnered 1.7million votes from Kano during the presidential election .
Again,the situation is also a bit dicey in Ogun state which ordinarily should not have power in retaining power.
Today,both incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun of APC,main opposition Ladi Adebutu of PDP and Biyi Otegbeye,the candidate of African Democratic Congress and a surrogate of Senator Ibikunle Amosun who remains in APC while his supporters are in Presidency.
Otegbeye is the first Yewa man to actually carry the burden of funding election in the state. Though he is surfacing rather late to the election,he has considerable following in Yewa area and may swing surprises.
There is no doubt that Saturdays election of Lagos governor is the keenest in the nations history.
It is no more business as usual for politicians in the country as both sitting governors and their opponents are busy knocking strange doors in houses that never receive such august visit ijrsi.
Now,electorate is king in Nigeria as hitherto neglected areas and trade unions barely response to such visitors .
Today,the twenty eight governors who are facing reelection in their states appreciate better with the increasing demand of electorate who are growing wiser by the day.
Era of Voters is King in our body polity has come.
