January 3, 2018

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday described the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as “a dead party, not capable of capturing Lagos in 2019.”

The Assistant Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Mr Abiodun Salami made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Salami was reacting to an assertion by the Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Mr Taofik Gani, that the opposition party would win Lagos and take over government in 2019.

Gani had told NAN on Tuesday that 2019 would be the beginning of the end of APC administration in the state as the party was sure of dislodging the ruling party.

He had claimed that Lagosians were tired of the “non-performance of APC government “and were eagerly waiting to vote PDP.

“We will shock the APC in 2019. Take my words. We already have a lot of novel ideas to wrestle governance from them.

“For now, we will keep our strategies sealed. When the game starts, we will unleash them.

“Ambode has failed in purposeful governance. The only thing we see is propaganda. Lagosians desire a change, and that change is PDP,” Gani had said.

But Salami described the assertions as laughable, saying PDP had been completely decimated and have no capacity to make any impact in the governorship election let alone winning.

He dismissed the assertion as “empty boast”, saying Lagosians knew the difference between light and retrogression and would continue to vote the APC.

“The assertion made by the PDP that it would win the state in 2019 is a huge joke. In fact it is laughable.

“How do they want to achieve that? The party has been deserted and left for dead by Lagosians.

“A party where virtually all their bigwigs, such as Obanikoro and others had deserted because they have seen the light and are now in the fold of APC.

“Who is left in the PDP in the state? I think they are living in a fool’s paradise by thinking they would make an impact let alone win in 2019. PDP in Lagos is dead and buried,” he said.

Salami said he was surprised that PDP was still boasting of winning some House of Assembly seats in 2015 even though all those elected under its banner with the exception of one member had since defected to the APC.

He said the recent defection of no fewer than 1,500 former PDP members to APC was further confirmation that the opposition party had no place in the state.

Salami said Lagosians trusted the APC government in the state to deliver good leadership, saying PDP lacked the drive for progress.

“Gov. Akinwumi Ambode has been rendering purposeful leadership in the state in line with his electoral promise.

“Lagosians appreciate the progress the government is making, the people trust the APC to do more. PDP has no place in the state,” he said.