Rivers, Lagos, Oyo, Delta Governors In Last Minutes Push For Votes As Opposition Threatens Upset

Some governors who are aiming for second term and those who want their handpicked candidates as successors in Saturday’s governorship polls are deploying last minute incentives to woo voters even as opposition candidates push for an upset.

While governors in states like Lagos and Oyo are seeking another four-year mandate, governors of Rivers and Delta are serving out their two-term mandate.

In Rivers State, the Labour Party is pushing to unseat the PDP forcing the State governor, Nyesom Wike, to seek assistance from the All Progressives Congress, APC, based on the agreement they had concerning the presidential election.

Wike had declared his support for the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, and ensured he won the presidential election in the state.

In return, Wike is seeking that the major faction aligned with the national headquarters of the APC must support his anointed candidate, Siminialayi Fubara.

The governor has also kept his promise to the 100,000 aides he hired a few weeks before the presidential election by paying their allowances.

They served as his foot soldiers during the presidential election and would be used again for the all-important governorship election on Saturday.

But the Labour Party is sure of victory in the state. Its candidate, Beatrice Itubo, enjoys popular support following the eye-catching performance of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Although he lost the Rivers State presidential election to Tinubu, his supporters who formed the Obidients Movement believe he won but was rigged out.

They have vowed to ensure that they turn out en masse to vote for the Labour Party candidate to teach Wike a lesson.

The story is not different in Lagos State where the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is fighting to retain his seat.

He has been doling out incentives to Lagosians and directly interfacing with them more than he has done in almost four years.

On Tuesday, he ordered the release of all vehicles impounded by Lagos Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, to their owners.

The traffic outfit has also disappeared from the streets to the consternation of residents, who say it is another campaign trick.

His opponents in both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the growing Labour Party also believe they stand a great chance to unseat the line of succession since the return to democracy in 1999.

Since the victory of Alliance for Democracy, Lagos has been under the control of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, who was first elected governor in 1999.

His proteges have always emerged governors but that is under threat, especially with the Obidients Movement and ENDSARS protesters who have vowed to “free Lagos.”

With Obi winning the presidential election in Lagos, there is fear in the camp of the ruling APC that the controversy from the presidential election may propel angry voters to vote against its candidate.

The Labour Party has accused the APC of rigging the presidential election in the state by substantially reducing Obi’s votes which margin was put at over 850,000 votes.

Sanwo-Olu has however touted his performance as the basis for his re-election urging people not to vote wrongly out of anger following the turn out of the presidential election.

Even more intriguing is Delta State where the PDP faces likely defeat for the first time since 1999.

But the incumbent, who was Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election, Ifeanyi Okowa, has retreated home to ensure his anointed candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, is returned elected.

Okowa has also touted his achievement and is deploying new incentives to the people to woo them.

But the APC candidate in the state, Ovie Omo-Agege, is campaigning on accusations of failures by the ruling party, which he said has been abysmal compared to available resources.

Omo-Agege, who is the Deputy President of the Senate has been having a rousing welcome as he continued his bid to snatch the seat from the PDP.

His support base has been boosted following the mass defection of PDP bigwigs to the APC and his adoption by supporters of former Governor, James Ibori.

Also, 63 support groups behind the Delta State chapter of the Obidients movement a few days ago pledged their support to the APC candidate.

The fate of Seyi Makinde, the incumbent governor of Oyo State also hangs in the balance.

While he has reached out to the Obidients Movement and is doling out incentives to different groups a few days to the election, the odds are reportedly stacked against his return to the Agodi Government House.

Makinde was one of the five governors who refused to support the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The five governors formed the group called G-5, who demanded that the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, must resign before they could support their candidate.

The impasse remained unresolved forcing Wike, the arrowhead of the group G-5 to support Tinubu.

Makinde also reportedly supported Tinubu and is facing backlash by Atiku supporters who have also declared their support for the APC governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin.

Folarin has seen his stock rise lately following his adoption by the African Action Congress, AAC, and some political parties.

Makinde is walking on thin ice as the Atiku support base is reported to be a formidable base which comprises former ministers, senators, and party bigwigs with huge political clouts.

Due to his support for Tinubu, he has failed on his overtures to secure their support, which has been given to the APC candidate ahead of Saturday’s governorship elections across 28 states.