The All Progressives Congress in Lagos State has faulted the prediction of the Peoples Democratic Party that its candidates would win in four of the five Local Government Areas where bye-elections are expected to hold on Saturday.
The PDP in a statement by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, described the PDP’s prediction as “an illusion”.
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to the nightmarish forecast of an out of character victory by a faceless and nameless opinion poll organizers of PDP victory in the rescheduled Lagos East Senatorial by-election.
“The fact that they couldn’t name the poll organizers can best be described as the stuff of fiction and hallucination typical of an opposition party that is fast going into extinction.
“However, we are not taken aback by the sudden last-minute blabbing in response to its campaign that has gone largely comatose in the past few days.
“The fact that the background, credentials, and integrity of the PDP candidate has been subjected to public scrutiny will naturally elicit face-saving measures.
“While we acknowledge the incredible diligence of Gbadamosi in the social media, he will do well to note for future escapades that elections are won by reaching out to the real people in the homesteads, market places, community leaders, youth organizations.
“As we count down to the by-elections on Saturday, we in the APC remain implicitly confident of victory while we await the traditional lamentation by PDP thereafter.”
The PDP’s spokesperson, Taofik Gani, had on Sunday in Lagos said PDP will win four out of the five Local Government Areas that make up the Lagos East Senatorial District – Somolu, Kosofe, Ikorodu, Epe, and Ibeju-Lekki- to win the senatorial election.
Candidates from 12 political parties will be contesting in the Lagos East Senatorial by-elections while eight candidates will be contesting the Kosofe Constituency II, Lagos State House of Assembly by-elections.
The contestants for the senatorial election are Muyiwa Adebanjo, Action Alliance; Ms Mercy Adeoye, African Action Congress, and John Kome, African Democratic Congress.
Others are Adebowale Ogunlaru, Action Democratic Party; Adetokunbo Abiru, All Progressives Congress; Olusola Babatope, Allied Peoples Movement; Mrs Florence Trautman, Labour Party; and Ms. Adijat Lawal, New Nigeria Peoples Party.
They also include Babatunde Gbadamosi, Peoples Democratic Party; Akin Olukunle, National Rescue Movement; Saheed Aluko, Social Democratic Party and Taiwo Temitope, Young Progressive Party.
The eight contestants for the Kosofe Constituency II bye-election are John Akerele, AA; Sadiq Olawale, AAC; Wasiu Saheed, APC; Adekunle Oladapo, LP; Muyideen Agoro, NNPP; Ademorin Adelaja, NRM; Sikiru Alebiosu, PDP and Mrs Mary Abojeh, ADC.
The two bye-elections, slated for December 5, became necessary following the demise of the former occupants who were members of APC.