In the last two weeks, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has intensified its campaign for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the aftermath of the defeat suffered by the party at the presidential poll in Lagos.
The popularity of the Labour Party and its Governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour appears to have unsettled the APC and its 24 years hold on Lagos State.
From Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and finally, to the APC, president-elect, Bola Tinubu and his associates have won all governorship elections in the state.
Obi won Lagos State by polling 582,454 votes, ahead of Tinubu, who got 572,606 votes. However, LP still disputes the election, claiming that the margin was wider.
Since then, GRV has intensified his campaign on that momentum. Also, there is Jide Adeniran of the PDP, who is also expected to give the ruling party a battle.
Many believe that the Muslim/Muslim ticket contributed immensely to the defeat suffered by the APC in Lagos State. Several mega-churches openly campaigned against the Muslim/Muslim ticket.
“Sanwo-Olu will not suffer the same fate as Tinubu in this election because if you notice very well, churches have not been campaigning against Sanwo-Olu the same way they did against Tinubu. The determination to vote against Tinubu is not the same thing now,” Bayo Ape, a member of the ruling party, told newsmen
While the religious factor may not be against Sanwo-Olu, who also appears not ready to take chances, by visiting several churches in the last couple of days, however, there is concern about angry youths.
So many youths who participated in the EndSARS and voted for Obi are still angry over the outcome of the election. Many believe that the election was rigged against their candidates.
Last week, during an interview on Arise TV, Sanwo-Olu claimed to have been powerless on the invitation of the Army to the Lekki Toll Gate.
“On the question of who ordered the [Lekki shooting], who ordered the police not to listen to me when I went to Magodo the other day? Who ordered the military out for our election last Saturday? It is not in my remit or space,” he said.
To prevent a repeat of February 25, Sanyo-Olu appears to be appealing to Churches and young persons. There have been conscious efforts to reach out to the Igbo communities in Lagos State