It was a political upset that no one saw coming—or at least, that’s what it seemed like. On the 25th of Februrary 2023, when the Presidential election took place in the most populated Black nation in the world, Peter Obi, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), defeated Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Tinubu’s home state. Let’s take a closer look at how this happened.
When all was said and done, Obi had tallied 575,524 votes to Tinubu’s 573,001 votes. This means that Obi had won two more local governments than his rival—Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Ikeja (where he voted!), Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu and Ojo plus Alimosho—and yet still came out ahead by 2,523 votes!
That wasn’t even the most surprising part; Obi beat Tinubu in his own backyard! Not only did he sweep Ikeja Local Government Area where he voted but also Eti-Osa Local Government Area where his political fortress lies in Ikoyi! This stunning victory shows that even if you have an established political stronghold in an area or region, nothing is certain in politics until you get those votes counted.
But why did this happen? It could be because of a number of factors. One possible reason could be that people were simply tired of the reign of the two most established parties APC and PDP and were looking for something new. Another possibility is that there was a greater turnout for the Labour candidate due to increased support from younger voters or increased mobilization efforts by party members on the ground. Whatever it was, it certainly worked!
Peter Obi’s victory over Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Lagos State has been called a “political earthquake” and has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political landscape. Although we may never know exactly why Obi won this election over his much more established opponent and home state governor of 16 years, it is clear that anything can happen when it comes to politics.
