An APC Chieftain and a Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Jubreel Abdulkareem has reflected on the dynamics surrounding the Presidential election in Lagos, asserting that the victory was not solely attributed to the Labour Party but rather stemmed from internal discord within the APC.
He explained that the first election outcome reflected public discontent due to internal conflicts within the party. He stated that the party leaders recognizing the need for internal cohesion, promptly convened to address grievances and reconcile differences. He emphasized that the subsequent election results were indicative of the party's ability to resolve internal disputes and regain collective focus.
The Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi in the 2023 election campaign attracted young people and urban voters who were fed up with Nigerian politics. He won the most votes in the commercial hub of Lagos State, where Africa's biggest city is located. Obi of the Labour Party got 582,454 just slightly ahead of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said in an interview with The Sun, ''For me, it was not Labour Party that won the election in Lagos, it was because of a wrangling in the APC. And having been the first election, people showed their displeasure based on what was happening. But immediately after we saw what happened, we were back to the drawing board to ensure that we managed ourselves properly. We kind of called a family meeting and appealed to the aggrieved people and we could see that the table turned by the next election.
So, it was not the opposition, it was with ourselves. For example, one way or the other if you are not concurring with what I'm doing you feel that I did not listen to you, okay fine! I will withdraw my support from my people there and they will realize that from my own end, I didn't do what I was supposed to do. And from there everybody will realize that we must all be on one page. That was what happened.''