Last governorship election turned me to a debtor - Jimi Agbaje

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, says the last general election turned him into a debtor.

Jimi Agbaje

Agbaje, who addressed party members at the PDP’s secretariat in Lagos on Tuesday, insisted that he won the governorship election.

The programme was organised ahead of the party’s forthcoming congresses and national convention.

The PDP governorship candidate, who spoke in pidgin English, however, said that despite the loss of the party in the last general elections, members of the party should shun bitterness and work to rebuild the party.

He said, “Some members were annoyed because the monies meant for the elections were not given to them to prosecute the last polls. I am angry too because the PDP won the last election in the state but was denied victory. I finish election, na gbese, I carry for head.”

In his remarks, a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, attributed the defeat of the party in the last general elections to a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

The PDP chieftain, who lamented that indiscipline had been a major problem of the party, said the party would not tolerate factions under any guise because they were dividing the party.

George said, “Our victory was scuttled by evil characters who preferred the narrow position of the ministerial office than the collective esteem and honour of winning the governorship election in Lagos State.

“We were defeated by the agent provocateurs within our ranks. We were defeated by political renegades who merely invested in their own greedy and selfish interests.

“This cannot continue. Nobody is above the constitution of the party. We must either strictly adhere to the normative pattern of the party rules or we ship out. There will be no exemptions.

“The party is supreme. Enough of all these so-called groupings. Groupings do not build a healthy and strong national party. It is parochial and destructive.”

A former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, urged members of the party to go back to their various wards to start rebuilding the party.

He said the forthcoming congresses would promote legitimacy, adding that imposition of candidates would not be tolerated.

 

Last governorship election turned me to a debtor - Jimi Agbaje

Tribunal: PDP youths urge fasting, prayer for Agbaje

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party Youth Leaders Forum has asked the party’s supporters to pray and fast in order for the governorship petition of the party to be favourably considered by the Election Petitions Tribunal.

Jimi Agbaje

The group also called on its supporters to come forward with information and documents to strengthen the petition of its governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje.

The Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Abiodun Abari, who addressed journalists on Monday, said through fasting and praying, “Agbaje’s stolen mandate would be retrieved.”

The group condemned the impeachment of the Chairman of the PDP, Capt. Tunji Shelle (retd.), describing it as a distraction.

It urged the party members and supporters to channel their energies towards ensuring victory for Agbaje and the two senatorial candidates of the party, Segun Adewale of the Lagos-West senatorial district and Chief Olabisi Salis of Lagos-East senatorial district.

While restating its support for Shelle, the group warned that it would resist any attempt to undermine the peace and unity of the party, adding that it was confident that the party would emerge victorious at the tribunal.

Abari said, “We condemn the way and manner the aggrieved persons rushed to the press without exploring available options to resolve their grievances internally. We urge all the aggrieved parties to maintain the status quo in the interest of peace and the sensitivity of the period.

“We urge our teeming youths to remain calm and focused in retrieving our mandate despite the confusion which we see as the agenda of the opposition. For our candidates to have put up such a performance in the face of institutionalised collusion between the Independent National Electoral Commission and the opposition to rig in favour of the latter is heroic and unprecedented.

“The silence resulting from the sham elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Lagos is palpable. Hence, we urge all party supporters to support the party’s cause at the tribunals by providing documents, evidence, and of course through prayer and fasting so that we can retrieve our various stolen mandate.”

 

Tribunal: PDP youths urge fasting, prayer for Agbaje

Ambode extends hand of partnership to Agbaje, others

The Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, and others who contested against him to join hands with his administration to build the state.

Ambode spoke on Sunday while delivering his acceptance speech at the APC secretariat in Lagos shortly after he was declared winner of the governorship election.

Ambode was announced winner of the Saturday election after securing 811,994 votes against his PDP’s closest rival, Agbaje who scored 659,788 votes.

“To my main opponent, Mr. Jimi Agbaje of the PDP, I thank you for a keen contest and invite you, alongside other governorship candidates, to join hands with me in moving Lagos forward,” he said.

Ambode also promised Lagos residents  that his administration would build on the legacy and achievements of his predecessors, Gov. Babatunde Fashola and Chief Bola Tinubu.

“I am humbled that you have placed your trust and faith in me.

“The love of this state and our common belief in what we can accomplish, our belief in what this state already is, and in what it is destined to become binds us together in a social and moral contract of high purpose.

“I shall honour that contract with every fiber of my being.

“This day I pledge to you that I shall devote myself to bringing even greater prosperity, growth and development to every inch of this state.

“I also pledge that I shall build on legacy and progress of my predecessors,” Ambode said.

The governor-elect promised to bring the best of ‎Lagos into his government saying that the people would be proud and glad for choosing him as their governor.

“The people of Lagos have demonstrated that Lagos is not about ethnicity or religion but about a common desire to enthrone good ‎governance.

“Lagos under my watch will not discriminate. It has not in the past, and will not in the present; not even in the future, there will be no political victimisation.

“By affirming your faith in the APC and in me, you have, for the first time in 16 years, married progressive governance at the national level with progressive government at the state level,” he said.

Ambode noted that finally, Lagos  state government and the Federal government would be of one vision, one mind and one accord.

“The ramifications of this harmonious unity are completely positive.

“This is a chance that we have worked toward for many years.

“The joint infrastructural and employment projects and collaboration between the state and the federal will quicken the improvement of our roads, schools, power generation and the entire array of social services.

“This new era of cooperation between the state and federal government promises to be a golden period for Lagos and for all Lagosians to share equally therein,” he said.

Ambode said Lagos would enjoy optimal development and growth through APC governance working in tandem at the state and federal levels.

“This cooperation and enhanced policy harmony will surely pay handsome dividends,” he said.

Ambode congratulated INEC for a job well done and keeping alive Nigeria’s hope for a brighter democracy.

Ambode extends hand of partnership to Agbaje, others

Breaking: Jimi Agbaje calls Ambode to concede defeat

It has been learned from source within the All Progressives Congress, (APC) that the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Lagos State, Olujimi Agbaji, has conceded defeat this evening

According to the source, the APC opposition candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode received a phone call from his opponent, Mr. Agbaje at 6:50pm on Sunday evening.

Mr. Agbaje was said to have promised to work with Ambode administration to bring prosperity in the next four years to Lagos State.

 

Breaking: Jimi Agbaje calls Ambode to concede defeat

APC panics over Agbaje’s prospect – Fani-Kayode

The Director of Media and Publicity, Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has responded to the allegations by the All Progressives Congress that President Goodluck Jonathan was planning to rig today’s governorship election in Lagos State in favour of the candidate of the PDP, Mr. Jimi Agbaje.

He said that the APC was in panic mode “because it knows that Agbaje is going to win the election.”

Fani-Kayode, in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, said this was the first time in 16 years that the APC together with the opposition tendencies it represents was facing a formidable challenge from a governorship candidate of the PDP.

He said, “It is not true that the President has any rigging plan for Lagos and neither do we need any such plan because our party is strong there.

“The problem with the APC and why it makes such allegation is because the party believes that it owns Lagos State and all those that live there.

“The party is now in a state of panic because for the first time in 16 years it is facing a formidable challenge and the party knows that Agbaje is likely to win.

“The truth is that there was no secret meeting in which rigging was planned by the President and neither is it true that materials were smuggled in to rig election in Lagos State.”

He alleged that the only people that were interested in rigging were members of APC, adding that such action would be resisted.

Fani-Kayode, however, said the fact that Jonathan conceded defeat in the March 28 presidential election did not mean that the President and the PDP had lost their nerves.

He said, “Jonathan conceded defeat and congratulated the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, though there were many question marks about the card readers, the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the so-called votes that APC allegedly won in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kaduna states.

“The figures for the APC were inflated in those states while the votes that Jonathan scored were purposely suppressed and reduced in places like Abia and other parts of the South-East by INEC. This is the bitter truth even though many people are reluctant to admit it.”

APC panics over Agbaje’s prospect – Fani-Kayode

APC raises alarm over Jonathan"s visit to Jimi Agbaje in Lagos

The All Progressives Congress has raised the alarm over President Goodluck Jonathan’s unannounced visit to Lagos State a day to the governorship election.

National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement, wondered why Jonathan arrived in Lagos late on Thursday.

He said Jonathan had a closed-door meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, Musiliu Obanikoro; and the National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Gani Adams.

Mohammed alleged that the meeting was obviously to strategise on how to manipulate the polls.

He said Jonathan was using the general perception, that he is a ‘good sportsman’, to deceive Nigerians.

He said the President was on a “revenge mission” to rig in Lagos because he failed in the state on March 28.

The APC spokesman added that the PDP had brought in fake result sheets, which it would use to record doctored figures on Saturday.

He said the PDP was desperate to win Lagos because having lost the centre, Lagos was the only means through which the party could be funded.

Mohammed said, “Before the meeting, eagle-eyed Nigerians, who are appalled by the PDP’s rigging plans, have widely circulated on the social media the details of the planned electoral malfeasance, including the airlifting from Abuja to Lagos of a Black Kia Mohave SUV, with number plate DHQ 340, which was packed with election materials (especially result sheets).

”The meeting in Lagos was aimed at devising a strategy to distribute the fake result sheets that were packed into the SUV, which will be free to move around (because of its plate number) despite the restriction on vehicular movement during the elections.

”The same President, who conceded defeat in the presidential election and then followed up with a speech in which he said he would like his ‘legacy’ of free and fair elections to endure, is the one who is presiding over a desperate move to steal the people’s votes on Saturday.

”How can President Jonathan’s ‘legacy’ endure when one of his last acts in office is a seeming vengeance mission to lead his party to capture Lagos, because the PDP sees the state as a cash cow that they can milk to death, with the party’s gravy train at the federal level, having derailed?”

APC raises alarm over Jonathan"s visit to Jimi Agbaje in Lagos

Push APC into Atlantic Ocean, Agbaje tells Igbo

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has urged Igbo across the state to push the All Progressives Congress ‘into the lagoon’ by voting for him on Saturday.

Agbaje said this while addressing Igbo traders at the Alaba International Market on Thursday.

The PDP candidate urged them to ignore the threats made by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, that if they do not vote for the APC governorship candidate on Saturday, they would die in the lagoon.

“Nobody can push you into the Atlantic Ocean. Rather, you should use your votes to push the APC into the Atlantic Ocean by voting massively for the PDP on Saturday,” Agbaje said.

He urged the people to ignore the scare tactics being marshalled by the APC, saying, it was the antics of a drowning party.

Agbaje said, “Election is like a snake. You have to make sure you win by killing the snake completely by using your votes to drive the APC out of power. The reason why they are harassing you is because they fear Igbo votes. They will try to do ‘shakara’ for you but you must vote massively for the PDP and protect your votes.”

Agbaje, who was accompanied by his running mate, Alhaja Safuratu Abdulkarim; and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said the APC had become arrogant because the party had been in power for too long.

He said, “In the last 16 years, the APC has been full of arrogance. This arrogance must end once and for all. Saturday is the time to say enough is enough.”

Counselling the audience to eschew violence and refuse to be intimidated at the polling venue, Agbaje urged them to guard their votes.

He said, “God is on our side and power will change hands on Saturday and life will be better for you and your businesses. There will be no oppression again because this election is about freedom from bondage.”

Push APC into Atlantic Ocean, Agbaje tells Igbo