The Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday said it was sure of victory in the forthcoming Lagos-east senatorial by-election, irrespective of the candidate the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) might present for the election.
The party expressed the optimism in a statement issued and signed by its publicity secretary, Taofik Gani, declaring that PDP would emerge victorious if the election was a free and fair election even if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor was the candidate of the APC.
Gani said the PDP would capitalise on the instability in the APC, especially in the senatorial district where the by-election will be held to win.
The senatorial seat became vacant following the demise of Bayo Sikiru Osinowo, who was serving his first term.
Already, in both APC and PDP, aspirants have started jostling to contest the position with the two parties having already concluded with the screening exercise and preparing for the primaries to pick their candidates.
According to him, “The People’s Democratic Party, Lagos State chapter has dared the APC to put forward even the Governor of CBN (Central Bank) as its candidate for the coming Lagos East Senatorial by-election.
“We are going into the Lagos-east senatorial by-election and other future elections with the kind of morale needed and ready to face and defeat the APC, irrespective of their eventual candidate.”
The PDP said the assertion became pertinent following the APC’s narrative that a now retired affluent banker will be its flag bearer in order to overrun the party (PDP), even as it alerted Lagosians in the senatorial district to be wary of happenings around them ahead of the poll exercise.
“Voters in that senatorial district will not be fooled by the affluence of any candidate but the physical developments sponsored and encouraged by the candidate. Any emergency largesse to the area now by any eventual candidate would be collected as a gift and will not be enough to ‘steal’ the voters’ votes,” the party added.
