We did everything to win Lagos – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party said on Tuesday that it did everything within its power to win the last governorship election in Lagos State.

While the PDP fielded Mr. Jimi Agbaje as its candidate for the election, the winning party in the election, the All Progressives Congress, had Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as its candidate.


It was generally believed that the 2015 governorship election presented the best opportunity for the opposition to win the election for the first time in the state since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

The outcome of the election, however, jolted the PDP, which was financially backed by the equally defeated President Goodluck Jonathan, who was the Presidential candidate of the party.

It was however believed that the unity with which the party went to the election in the state had been fractured as different factions emerged blaming each other for the party’s loss at the poll.

But the Lagos State Chairman of the party, Capt. Tunji Shelle (retd.), said peace would soon return to the troubled party in the state.

Shelle told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday that he had been directed to hold a peace meeting with the warring group in the party in his state.

He said he was happy that the crisis in the state chapter of the party was discussed at the PDP Election Review Committee meeting, which was held in Abuja on Tuesday.

At the meeting, which was presided over by the Chairman of the Committee, who is also the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, Shelle said the committee was happy with his leadership style.

He said, “Peace is returning to Lagos PDP soon. We are on track and I can tell you that as one big family, we are on course.

“We did everything to win the governorship election in the state, but the ruling party manipulated the election, by manipulating the use of card readers and other forms of rigging.

“That was how the APC won. If there was no manipulation, we would have won. But we are sure of winning at the tribunal.”

On the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party, he said, “some members of my executive revolted against me but I’m happy to tell you that I’m the recognised chairman of the party in the state.”

Meanwhile, Ekweremadu said his committee would soon embark on zonal meetings to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the party at the national level.