Apparently jolted by the unpredicted loss of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to his Labour Party (LP) opponent Peter Obi at the February 25 election, the Lagos State government has taken steps to avert a further loss.
With eyes fixed on the March 11 governorship election, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has begun to re-strategize, to boast his chances of victory at the polls.
Sanwo-Olu is seeking a second term in office, and is on the ballot for the March 11 election.
Obi, in the Lagos election, polled 582,454 to beat Tinubu who secured 572,606 votes, while Atiku got 75,750 votes in the Saturday 25 presidential election, a development that was attributed to the Igbo bloc votes for the LP.
The outcome signaled a paradigm shift from the dominance of the party – or its progenitor – in Lagos State politics.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) government of Lagos State, according to political analysts, has suddenly realised the changing dynamics of the voting population in the State hence it plans to parley Igbo leaders resident in Lagos.
Although packaged as a dinner, the forum, according to sources, is designed to for the governor to interact with Igbo leaders, in an effort to secure their support going forward. The governor is also expected to seize the opportunity of the meeting to pacify the Igbo community, and perhaps make some promises.
The Igbo community, on its own, would not leave the venue without extracting assurances of the government regarding the safety of their lives and property.
Prior to the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections, there were rumours of subterranean plots to attack Igbo people resident in Lagos, and their assets if by any chance Tinubu lost the election, although such fears were later allayed.
Coupled with viral videos that emerged during the February 25 elections, in which MC Oluomo was allegedly threatening to deal with Igbo in Lagos if they failed to cast their ballots for Tinubu, the government is determined to make amends, and avoid a backlash.
Tagged: “A dinner and one-on-one interaction with the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu with Igbo Captains of Industry’, the organizers are listed as Executive Chairman of Chisco Group of Companies, Chief Dr Chidi Anyaegbu, and Chairman, CEO of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema.
The event is scheduled for 4pm on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos.