Where Are the Promised Votes? - Ejigbadero

Reactions have continued to trail the ongoing collation exercise of presidential results in the just concluded general elections in Abuja, after seeing the tension and turn of events in the just concluded general elections. 

While the development has sparked jubilation in some quarters, it has called for questioning in others - both parties and non-party members have expressed mixed concerns.

With the current happenings, Lagos State appears to be one of the most hit states, alongside Osun, Gombe, Yobe, Katsina, Imo, and a host of others which are currently APC states but have lost to the PDP and the Labour Party.

In the current scheme of events, Alimosho Local Government, which used to be described as Tinubu Country was also lost to the Labour Party, which polled over 57,000 votes against the All Progressives Congress which polled a bit over 52,000.

According to a party chieftain, Alhaji Abiodun Ejigbadero, "this outcome of the presidential election in Lagos is worrisome, and more disturbing is the result obtained in Alimosho. This goes to confirm our earlier position, sometime in 2020, that the leaders in Alimosho have, all these years, been deceiving the state leadership of the party and scamming the innocent party loyalists".

Speaking further, Ejigbadero alluded to the defeat of the party in Alimosho to two major factors. In his opinion, the major part of the loss came as a result of backstabbing from those whom the Governor had trusted.

In his words, "this defeat did not come by accident. It was well-calculated and sadly, the goal was achieved. Those in whom Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had faith, betrayed the party. They did not mobilize the party agents and canvassers and they worked against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, perhaps, in compliance with a directive from their political godfather, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola".

Ejigbadero recalled how the factional leader in the largest Local Government had always repeatedly hyped his ability and readiness to deliver 500,000 votes for the party, at any election. Speaking further, he said, "at any given opportunity, Alhaji Abdullahi Enilolobo never misses the chance to brag that he had his 500,000 votes readily available in his pocket, which he promised to deliver in favor of the party. It was surprising how, despite the hype, the entire Local Government could not deliver a hundred thousand votes, allowing a party that is less than a year old in Alimosho, to wrestle it to the ground in the recent Presidential election. This ugly development has continued to raise questions on the lips of party faithful, who have been asking for the whereabouts of the promised votes".

Ejigbadero concluded, "had it not been for the efforts and sacrifice of the Senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on the SDG, Her Excellency, Princess Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, the loss would have been more brutal and fatal. Orelope lessened the calamity through her mobilisation and support. Unlike what was recorded at the other side, she delivered her polling units", he concluded.