The former National Secretary of the Labour Party and a constitutional lawyer, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, has said the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, will need more than social media votes to win the 2023 presidential elections.
In a statement made available to The Nation, he said: “Social media polls are good for a show of popularity but the votes are rather imaginary. What will determine the next President of Nigeria are the tangible votes cast at the polling units across the country”.
Ajulo advised Obi to work hard within the next two months if he’s serious about 2023.
“There are about 176,00 polling units in Nigeria and 96 million registered voters. Of these polling units, about 93,000 are in Northern Nigeria, while 80,000 are in Southern Nigeria.
“The Northwest has the most polling units with 41,671 and 22.67 million registered voters closely followed by the Southwest with 34,808 and 18.3 million registered voters. Then the North-Central has 27, 514 polling units, and 15.68 million registered voters. The South-South is next with 27, 126 polling units and 15.3 million voters.
“The Northeast has 24,006 polling units and 12.8 million registered voters. While the Southeast has 21,631 polling units and 11.49 million registered voters. These are facts that will determine 2023,” Ajulo said.
Ajulo said Obi must be able to totally control at least six States outside of his home State, Anambra before he can win the election.
“This is no time for Obi to just visit Baba Obasanjo, Gusau and other stakeholders everywhere to do photo-ops for popularity. He must put even his recent London meeting with the PDP stakeholders into veritable use.
“If he can earn the genuine support of three Governors from the South like Governors Wike of Rivers State, Ortom of Benue State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, I know of three formidable governors from the North who have given indication they will support him. He has the next two months to do so before electorates pick permanent sides,” the lawyer said.
He urged Obi to leverage on the national spread of the Labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, to build structure across the country.
“The NLC is also a strong organisation with over 4 million members from 50 affiliate bodies. The Trade Union Congress, TUC, also has about 40 affiliates with over 3.5million members and each of these affiliates maintains offices in all the 36 States of Nigeria.
“What he needs here is to involve all the over 9 million strong and indomitable Nigerian workers and bread winners in their own right, in his campaigns.
“They’re the real structures as each of the affiliates has, National offices in Abuja with offices in each States and each local government in Nigeria.
“I repeat he has just two months to convince them with realistic plans than engaging in isolated campaigns that often lead to electoral failure.”