Jonathan’s defeat affected Lagos PDP’s rigging plan – APC

Former President Goodluck Jonathan

Toluwani Eniola

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress says   the loss of the presidential election by the Peoples Democratic Party on March 28, 2015 frustrated its plans to take over Lagos State by force.

The APC, while reflecting on the victory of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Supreme Court last week, said the PDP would have deployed security agencies and ethnic groups to remove the APC government in Lagos if Nigerians had re-elected former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement issued by the APC spokesman, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, on Sunday, the party commended the resilience of Nigerians during the presidential poll to free themselves from 16 years of oppression of the PDP.

The APC said, “Had the PDP succeeded in stealing the presidency on March 28, 2015, it would have used the army, the police, the Department of State Service to ‘steal’ Lagos by force.

The Supreme Court verdict has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ambode won the governorship election fair and square, defeating Mr. Jimi Agbaje of the PDP with more than 160, 000 votes.”

While assuring Lagosians that the APC government in Lagos would not lower the bar of leadership, the group said Lagos would continue to be a pacesetter.

The APC said the Supreme Court verdict was another call to duty , adding that Governor Ambode possesses the required skills, training, experience, to consolidate on the gains of the past 16 years.

The statement read, “As a bean counter, he has hit the ground running, restructuring and repositioning critical institutions in Lagos. He has been busy embarking on reforms. The resounding victory at the apex court tells us in no uncertain terms that Lagosians have not forgotten how AD (Alliance for Democracy), AC (Action Congress), ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) and now APC, transformed Lagos in the last 16 years and made the city the fastest growing cosmopolitan city state in Africa, with a Gross Domestic Product of more than $135 bn.

“Lagosians have not forgotten that the progressive party cleaned up Lagos and made it a habitable city. They have not forgotten how our party made Lagos a haven for business activities to thrive. They have not forgotten how we built the most formidable security architecture in Lagos to protect lives and property of more than 18 million Nigerians residing in the city of Lagos.

“The apex court ruling has put paid to the controversy surrounding the April 11 poll. The victory would spur the Ambode-led administration to implement the party’s people-oriented policies and programmes.”