by Tope Adesipo

A vote for Buhari is a vote for positive change but also a vote for Agbaje in Lagos is also for positive change and for sustaining the freedom and democratic aspirations of Lagosians so that feudalism and monarchy is not surreptitiously substituted for our democratic constitution in substance, if not in form.

The people’s democratic party the PDP has been in power for 16years. In 1999 when the party took over, poverty rate in Nigeria was around 75%. 16 years after ,70% of the population still live In destitution. President Jonathan’s/PDP’s six-year rule, if anything, has not or did not  drastically departs from the previous 8 years rule under Obasanjo (1999-2007) and Yar’adua (2007-2009)‎ despite his promises  of  fresh air in 2011.  As a matter of fact, the need  for change has become a matter of life and death for Nigerians after careful magnification of 6years of Jonathan’s presidency

When Nigerians voted for president Jonathan in 2011, apart from the fact that he had a story the mass majority could identified with, his promise of fresh air was trusted. Nigerians thought we could have a president who would take  advantage of the unprecedented oil boom to better the lives of the masses. We needed him to fight corruption as a bit of fresh air indeed; instead he superintended  over massive looting and unashamedly associated with every Tom, Dick and harry in the corruption business. We needed him to strengthen and preserve the excess crude account and foreign reserves instead ‎his administration  drastically  depleted the Excess Crude Account from a figure of $22 billion dollars to the current figure of $4 billion, and the Foreign Reserve, from $62 billion to the current $28Billion with nothing to show for it.

We needed him to reduce the poverty and unemployment level as a bit of fresh air instead, poverty is now put at 70% of the population leaving on less than $1.25 a day, and unemployment at an underestimation of 28%.

‎Just 10 months ago, the government went to the rooftops with a screaming claim that Nigeria was now the “biggest economy in Africa” despite growing poverty level. This bogey has now been exposed.

The failure to expand and improve the electricity sector, despite its centrality to any major development and diversification of the economy, is another major reflection of the backwardness of the PDP government at the centre. Today, government has committed or guaranteed up to N300 billion – including the latest N213 billion bailout – to the private buyers of the legacy companies of PHCN, even when the companies were sold at rock-bottom prices to sharks.. The bailouts are not meant to seriously improve generation, transmission or distribution, but to allow the private buyers make adequate profits and pay outstanding debts and interests to banks January marked the third time electricity tariff would be hiked in the interests of private buyers, even when actual supply to the consumers is dwindling.

In the oil sector, despite promises by government officials since 2012, there has not been any improvement in the country’s oil refining capacity.NNPC, has been run aground to such an extent that it cannot even refine up to 25 percent of its installed capacity.

All these has culminated into the massive support the candidate of the All Progressives Congress General Muhammadu Buhari is getting. The 2015 elections certainly is beyond Buhari’s integrity or anti corruption stands or the APC as a party for change  is about the misrule of the PDP particularly Jonathan’s failure in the last 6years. More than anything else, many Nigerians want to demonstrate that power in this democracy belongs to them. Many wants to proof they can send an incompetent government out. The Buhari candidacy has become a mass movement for this charge. As its stand, except the ruling party rig at the elections,which it is already perfecting plans to do, as seen in its desperation to have the elections postponed, it is almost certain that a new president will be in Aso Rock by May 29. 2015.

In Lagos however, the party putting itself up for change in Abuja wants continuity. For 16 years also, the APC formerly AD, ACN has also been in power in lagos. While the performance of Governor Fashola  of the APC is not the rallying point for the large majority of the masses that wants change in Abuja,the rallying point has been Jonathan’s unprecedented failure and Buhari’s pedigree and antecedents as a man of integrity and honour. So how has the APC fair in Lagos to deserve continuity? there are issues of public resources conered to a narrow circle of friends, business partners or political loyalists. The elections in lagos is  between APC’s Akin Ambode and PDP Agbaje. Yes PDP Agbaje.  While I already pointed out the many failures of the PDP  at the centre, if you are not a card carrying member of the APC, you may not  have a problem voting PDP where it is ofcourse seen to have put credible people forward. Afterall, when you do the final analysis, Jonathan didn’t fail because he is PDP he failed because he choose to fail, he failed because of his crass incompetence, he failed because he didn’t listen to his own voice and The way politicians also jump parties in Nigeria, have also render party ideology useless.

With all the experience of Akin Ambode in the civil service, what he is promising is a continuation of what Lagosians are tired of. Agbaje might not have public administration experience, but he is obviously qualified to govern the state. Many believed he is backed by Bode George whom they see as an ex-convict. In reality, Agbaje needed a party structure to contest. Politics is majorly alignment of interest here and there. What he has done, is to be bring his Goodwill and popularity into a PDP structure owned by Bode George and seye Ogunlewe. Some people also think this means Bode George and Ogunlewe will control Agbaje as governor. Agbaje is not known to succumb to these kind of things perhaps it is the reason Tinubu dumped him for Fashola in 2007.   Also, he doesn’t have with George the sort of Godson to Godfather relationship that Ambode has with Tinubu.

While the Fashola and Tinubu government have done well in raising Lagos IGR from N10B in 1999 to N400BN today, that unfortunately  has not translate to a corresponding improvement  in the lives of ordinary lagosians.  Lagos borrowing has also increased. As recent as 2007, Lagos  borrowing was about 51 per cent of the total revenue, but, as at the end of 2014, Lagos borrowing is now about 113 per cent of the total revenue. In other words, today, Lagos owes about N435 billion and  income is about N389 billion.

By the admission of the state Government itself, it has built 25000 housing unit in 16years. How can you want this to continue when Infact lagos needs about 200000 unit each year. The excuse of the lagos  government is that the cost of cement is high and had used tax payers’ money to build for themselves, their cronies and the rich. Lagos State is ranked 36th in World Bank ratings of places where it is very difficult to get approval to build‎. Should this continue?

The BRT was meant to provide an alternative to the rickety molue buses. It was meant to ease transport, make it faster and comfortable, not just for the poor, but even for the middle class but sadly it has become Molue. The light rail has also taken like forever to complete.

Agbaje is promising integrity, providing a vision, and he is leading  a policy-based campaign if elected he wants a Lagos where the  rich and poor communities have good schools, where willing citizens can find jobs, where everyone has affordable and qualitative education, where transportation and infrastructure is world class, where Lagosians no longer live in urban slums and collapsing buildings. ‎All these are the present realities in Lagos despite the APC leading the charge for change in Abuja. A Lagos where lives, property and businesses are secure from not just criminals, but also from rapacious and extortionate officials.

A vote for Buhari is a vote for positive change but also a vote for Agbaje in Lagos is also for positive change and for sustaining the freedom and democratic aspirations of Lagosians so that feudalism and monarchy is not surreptitiously substituted for our democratic constitution in substance, if not in form.

————————-

Tope Adesipo tweets from @tope414

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.