SANWO-OLU WINS LAGOS APC GOVERNORSHIP TICKET FOR SECOND TERM
• Opponents Failed To Meet Screening Requirements, Disqualified Before Primaries – Electoral Committee
L – R: Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a warm handshake with Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu won the governorship primaries of Lagos State’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 1,170 delegates’ votes to become the party’s standard bearer in the 2023 general election.
The party members defied the rain that rained on Thursday’s exercise at Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan, filing under cover of the rain and voting to approve the Governor’s second term ticket.
The election began at 12:33 p.m. with the arrival of the chairman of the Lagos Gubernatorial Primaries Committee, Alhaji Adamu Shettima Yuguda, former Deputy Governor of Borno State.
Following the arrival of the electoral committee, delegates from all 20 local government areas (LGAs) were immediately accredited.
The electoral committee accredited 1,198 delegates seated at the venue, out of the 1,225 delegates expected to participate in the primaries.
Officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dispatched from the commission’s headquarters to monitor the primaries were present.
Before voting began, Shettima explained the electoral committee’s decision on how the delegates would cast their ballots.
“This exercise we are conducting here is to renew the mandate of the APC government in Lagos,” he explained. Our national secretariat extends its greetings. Because our party has done so well in Lagos, no other party should be allowed to govern the state. “
“Lagos is critical to the APC because the next president is likely to come from this state.” This exercise is critical; regardless of how long we are here, we must be patient because that is what the electoral laws require.
At 1:03 pm, accredited delegates filed out to vote in their respective LGAs. Each of the 245 wards in the 20 federally registered LGAs had five delegates.
The vote was temporarily halted due to the rain. When the rain stopped, the delegates returned to vote.
The voting ended at 3:35 pm, and the sorting of the cast ballots began immediately. The chairman of the electoral committee then declared the vote counting to begin.
During the primaries, a total of 1,182 votes were cast, with 1,170 valid votes in favour of Sanwo-Olu and 12 invalid votes.
Shettima declared Sanwo-Olu the winner of the process, citing the fact that two other aspirants who were supposed to compete in the primaries had been disqualified by the party’s screen committee prior to the exercise.
Abdulhameed Olorunfemi Mustapha and Wale Oluwo were both disqualified as candidates.
In response to the results of the primaries, Sanwo-Olu dedicated the victory to all party members, describing them as the primary beneficiaries of the process.
The Governor stated that the exercise resulted in a “loud and clear” message from the party delegates, noting that his victory was the first leg of the success expected by the APC State chapter.
He stated that the party leadership would not devote all of its resources to securing the APC presidential nomination for the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Having thanked all our party faithful, the greatest appreciation goes to all Lagosians, regardless of which side they lean,” Sanwo-Olu said. This victory is for all of the residents who have supported us on this four-year journey. “What we saw this evening is proof that the good work we’ve been doing should continue.”
“This is the assurance we are bringing to the general elections, and we will not fail.” With all due respect, there is still much more that Lagosians should expect from us in all aspects of governance. We will not betray the trust you have placed in us. We pray that God will provide us with the energy to elevate Lagos to a level that reflects the aspirations of all Lagosians. ”
The Gubernatorial Primaries Committee also included the Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Bashir; Tilewa Sijuwade; Hon. Bola Imolehin; and Stella Okotete.
