{"id":409035,"date":"2011-04-30T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-30T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/30\/last-minute-campaign-strategy-that-saved-fashola\/"},"modified":"2011-04-30T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-04-30T06:00:00","slug":"last-minute-campaign-strategy-that-saved-fashola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/30\/last-minute-campaign-strategy-that-saved-fashola\/","title":{"rendered":"Last-minute campaign strategy that saved Fashola"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

Although Lagos State is the stronghold of the Action Congress of Nigeria, BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA writes that key players in the party were rattled when Lagos overwhelmingly voted for the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2011 presidential poll on April 16<\/span><\/p>\n

The import of the English axiom \u2018Make hay while the sun shines\u2019 has continued to be useful, even among non-native speakers of the language.<\/span><\/p>\n

This perhaps informed the last minute campaign moves embarked upon by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State just after the landslide victory recorded in the state by the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2011 presidential poll on April 16.<\/span><\/p>\n

In that election, the PDP beat the Action Congress of Nigeria by carting away over one million votes in Lagos State.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources close to the governor hinted SATURDAY PUNCH that the sudden turn of events, especially in a state that cleared all the seats in the National Assembly a week earlier, forced Fashola to immediately embark on a more aggressive campaign strategy. The calculation had been that the Lagos residents were all in favour of the ACN; but again, there was a significant PDP tsunami that swept through the South-West states, except Osun during the presidential ballot.<\/span><\/p>\n

More worrisome for the incumbent governor and some members of the ACN top hierarchy was the feeling that if things went the same way for the Lagos PDP at the governorship poll, a political disaster would have been recorded.<\/span><\/p>\n

As if not certain of what may become of the election, Fashola needed to consolidate on his ranking in the hearts of the Lagosians; making him to hit the streets once again with gusto. This time, he was guest to the people and residents of the riverside areas in the state, where little had been hitherto seen of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eyewitnesses said that the governor decked himself in a life jacket while travelling on boats to such places, especially in Badagry and its environs, to solicit the votes of the inhabitants, most of who probably might be seeing their governor for the first time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not willing to leave anything to chance, the candidates vying for seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly were said to have gone through fresh rounds of soliciting votes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The surprises witnessed in the previous elections left no room for frivolities. Beginning with the National Assembly poll, candidates and relations of party bigwigs and godfathers had failed to clinch the seats they vied for. The case of the daughter of former Nigerian President, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, was instructive, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although many things appeared to be working in favour of Fashola and his party, the shift in political permutations since the 2011 elections began would not allow the governor to rest on his oars. An opinion poll conducted by Nigeria\u2019s leading web portal eNowNow.com had showed that people tipped Fashola to return to the government house in Alausa come May 29.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the poser, \u2018Who is the next governor of Lagos State?\u201d the poll ranked Fashola as first among the top four candidates jostling for the post. About 83.87 per cent of respondents said they would vote for Fashola of the ACN; 12.9 per cent voted for Dr. Adegboyega Dosunmu of the PDP; 0 per cent in favour of Yomi Tokoya of the ANPP, while J.K. Randle of the SDMP garnered 3.23 per cent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lagos chairman of the ACN, Chief Henry Ajomale, had said that the victory of the PDP in the April 16 presidential election would not affect the chances of the ACN in the governorship poll. He had assured party supporters that Fashola would win Tuesday\u2019s poll.<\/span><\/p>\n

He had said, \u201cThere is \u2018no shaking\u2019 for Fashola. What happened at the presidential election is a tribal game; that was the game played. On April 26, we are sure Fashola will win.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Corroborating his view, the state Publicity Secretary, ACN, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, expressed the confidence that there would be no upset in the governorship poll. He said that Fashola would win convincingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said, \u201cFrom what we saw in Lagos on, April 16, one can conclude that Lagos residents had come of age in our journey to join the democratic nations of the world by voting individuals and not the parties. Lagos residents proved that they could weigh the options, read the political barometer clinically with intelligent objectivity; look passionately at the candidates\u2019 antecedents and history and take intelligent decisions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He said that Lagos voters understood the need for an effective opposition to put Abuja on its toes and Lagos, as the economic nerve-centre, should naturally be the focal point; hence, their resolve to return Fashola of the ACN to office.<\/span><\/p>\n

But political watchers said that Fashola became perturbed, not really because he felt less confident of his chances to win the election, but mainly out of the fear of the opposition\u2019s alleged plan to rig the election.<\/span><\/p>\n

Addressing party followers during one of his last-minute campaign tours and road shows to Ifako\/Ijaye Local Government Area, Fashola alleged that the PDP was perfecting plans to cause confusion and rig the governorship poll. He educated the residents especially on how to cast their votes to avoid being voided.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said he believed that he and the ACN had done enough to command the people\u2019s respect and automatic support, but feared a wrong voting style may become dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, a legal practitioner and political commentator, Mr. Kunle Fadipe, said that it was a good development, especially because it showed the power of the voters. He affirmed that the incident truly sent jitters into the ACN camp. \u201cThey wanted to avoid the kind of embarrassment that the presidential poll caused the party. Fashola and indeed some candidates seeking seats in the house of assembly went almost from house to house to renew the voters\u2019 commitment. They suddenly realised that picking the party\u2019s ticket was no longer an automatic joker for winning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fadipe said that the time had passed when politicians were voted just for having won the party\u2019s ticket as it had become compulsory that they were individuals that the people had chosen to vote for. He said that in the past, all that was needed was to be the favourite of a particular godfather, but that was no longer the case.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said, \u201cThe Goodluck Jonathan (PDP) lesson was one to take home for all public office seekers. Voters have come of age. I believe that this has also taught the parties that to win any election, they must field the most popular candidates and not just whoever they wish. I think that the voters are the better for this trend because for once, public office holders have got the message that no matter which party they belong to, they will be assessed as individuals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But the fear of the ACN has now become history. Everything has worked well for the party as its candidate, Fashola, was formally declared winner of the Lagos State governorship race for another term of four years on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the hope of Lagosians that the party would justify the confidence reposed in it and deliver on its electoral promises. Anything to the contrary might shift the allegiance of the electorate to another direction in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Visit link:
\nLast-minute campaign strategy that saved Fashola<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although Lagos State is the stronghold of the Action Congress of Nigeria, BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA writes that key players in the party were rattled when Lagos overwhelmingly voted for the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2011 presidential poll on April 16 The import of the English axiom \u2018Make hay while the sun shines\u2019 has continued to be useful, even among non-native speakers of the language. This perhaps informed the last minute campaign moves embarked upon by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State just after the landslide victory recorded in the state by the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2011 presidential poll on April 16. In that election, the PDP beat the Action Congress of Nigeria by carting away over one million votes in Lagos State<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":401937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-409035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-news"},"yoast_head":"\nLast-minute campaign strategy that saved Fashola - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/30\/last-minute-campaign-strategy-that-saved-fashola\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Last-minute campaign strategy that saved Fashola - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Although Lagos State is the stronghold of the Action Congress of Nigeria, BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA writes that key players in the party were rattled when Lagos overwhelmingly voted for the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2011 presidential poll on April 16 The import of the English axiom \u2018Make hay while the sun shines\u2019 has continued to be useful, even among non-native speakers of the language. 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