January 16, 2018

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, some opposition political parties in Lagos State say they are mobilising and restructuring to win and be fully represented in governance.

Leaders of the parties told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that voters were eager to have a true change in government.

The Lagos State Chairman of National Conscience Party (NCP), Mr Fatai Ibuowo, said the party was restructuring to ensure it had full representation in the state.

“We are doing our best to make sure we occupy Lagos politics; Lagos NCP is restructuring its bases in order to make its dream a reality.

“We are also working tirelessly to ensure we create an alternative for the people of Lagos State,’’ Ibuowo said.

The Lagos State Chairman of African Democratic Congress, Mr Nkem Lemchi, also said the party was mobilising and strategising for the elections.

“However, our not winning seats in Lagos is not as a result of lack of plans but the peculiar style of electoral fraud that prevails.

“There is no way to win election than to continue mobilising and strategising,’’ Lemchi said.

The Lagos State Chairman of Peoples Party of Nigeria, Chief Gboyega Adeniji, said that the party would present credible candidates for the polls.

“We were in Ogun State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2015 and we are winning more in Lagos State this time around.

“The voters are already dissatisfied with performance of the ruling party, so our plan is to present credible community-based tested and trusted candidates for the elections,’’ Adeniji said.

The Lagos State Chairman of Action Alliance (AA), Mr Shola Omolola, said that the party was planning to work with other smaller parties ahead of the elections.

“We are trying to see if we, the smaller parties, can work together and support each other by supporting the most popular among us in a particular locality instead of all of us contesting against ourselves.

“We will keep giving the people an alternative candidate to vote for during the elections while also intensifying our work this year and building on it toward the 2019 elections,’’ Omolola said.

He said the party believed so much in the grassroots where it had a stronghold through its interface with the people.

The AA chairman said that the party had commenced training the people on the importance of coming out to vote in the elections and ensuring their votes counted.

Omolola said: “in one of our trainings, we told the people that they should not believe that who shares the highest money will be the winner of the contest rather they should believe in INEC to be an unbiased umpire.’’

INEC on Jan. 9 announced a timetable for party primary elections starting from Aug. 18, while electioneering would start on Nov. 18.

The commission fixed Governorship and State House of Assembly elections campaigns to start on Dec.1.

It fixed the Presidential and National Assembly Elections on Feb. 16, 2019.

It also fixed Governorship and State House of Assembly elections as well as elections into FCT Area Councils for March 2, 2019.