Over 3,000 Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, delegates in Lagos State, yesterday, confirmed the candidature of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State for second term. He was returned unopposed.
Also, delegates elected the wife of former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, Ganiu Olawale Solomon, and Gbenga Ashafa, Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau as candidates to contest election for the Lagos Central, Lagos West and Lagos East Senatorial Districts, respectively, in the April polls.
This came even as over 5,000 ACN delegates from across the country file out today to elect either the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu or the former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, as the party’s presidential flagbearer at the Onikan stadium, Lagos.
It will be recalled that Fashola was endorsed by the party leadership led by Bola Tinubu and other chieftains at the party secretariat Acme Road, Agidingbi Ikeja and in accordance with the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for electoral primaries for any aspirant.
Over 3,000 delegates from all the 20 and 37 local government areas and local council development areas, respectively, formally endorsed Fashola with voice votes at the event held at party secretariat.
Governor Fashola, in his acceptance speech, appreciated the party for the overwhelming support for his second term bid, promising to work harder to deliver the state for a second term for ACN, saying that the party remained the one to beat.
According to him, he had the dream to reposition Lagos and ensure that the mega city dream was brought to reality and impact on the lives of the people.
INEC faults process
However, INEC an official at the ACN House of Assembly and National Assembly Primaries discredited the result of the primaries.
The official who spoke with newsmen on grounds of anonymity said, “the candidates emerged under questionable circumstances.
“After you media were asked to leave the election venue, we were equally ordered out while the officers took the ballot boxes into a room.
“Later they came out with a paper where the results were written and asked us to sign which we refused.
“It took the mercy of security personnel to see us safely to our cars and as I speak, the result sheet is in our office and we have officially written our reports.
“The absence of agents for aspirants which the party did not allow was the first indication that all is not well,” he added.
with the election’’.
However, Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in his reaction said that Fashola was simply endorsed through ratification and that what the party was doing was just to use the endorsement to thank him for repositioning the state and moved it to greater heights.
“Today is significant because no one is challenging the governor. This is a way of saying thank you and you are a faithful man. It is just an affirmation of the governor’s second term bid.
“We want to see if it is possible to mobilise 6 million Lagosians to vote for Fashola at the coming poll using the Obama method. We will mobilize ordinary people to go and register and Lagos, with about 18 million people in Lagos, we should be able to mobilize between five and six million people to vote for the governor,” he stated.
Meanwhile, results of the National Assembly primaries conducted by the party two days ago had been released by the party amidst series of protest.
Mr Adejare Samuel polled 40 to beat Oyeniyi Raheem in Agege local government federal constituency; Taiwo Adenekan won the Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Rural Development with 54 votes to 24 while Adeola Solomon had 52 votes against Tajudeen Alade’s 11 Alimosho federal constituency primaries.
Also in Amuwo-Odofin constituency, Olukolu Tunji polled 61 votes over Oyewo Oluwagbemiga’s 15; in Apapa, it was a victory for Olawepo Olukayode who had 31 votes against Olabanji Olayemi’s 22; Badagry, it was Mrs. Rafikat Arinola who won with 54 against Amida Abudu with 20.
In Epe federal constituency, Lanre Odubote polled 52 votes to beat Omoseyindemi Olubumi with 30; Eti-Osa constituency saw Akinloye Babajide polling 49 while his close-up rival Kolapo Osunsanya had 10; Ayoola Abdulkabir won 22 votes to beat Adekoya Rufus with 6 votes for Ibeju-Lekki constituency.
For Ifako-ijaye, it was a joy for Otunba Michael Ogunnusi who had 72 votes over his close rival Ajibade Sulaimon who had just 10 votes; Ikeja, James Faleke polled 61 votes to beat Adebayo Odulana; in Ikorodu, Abike Dabiri scored 34 and Osikoya Olorunsogo had 20; in Kosofe constituency, Yakub Alebiosu polled 51 votes against Olatubosun Adedeji’s 34 while the former Head of Service in the state, Yakub Balogun had 79 votes over serving representative Jumoke Okoya with 44 votes for Lagos Island constituency.
For the Lagos Mainland constituency, Batola polled 45 to win Bunmi Leshi with 24; Abayomi Kako-Are had 71 to beat Alli Taofeek with 28 for Mushin constituency I; for Mushin II constituency, it was a victory for Ganiyu Hamzat with 69 votes while Samuel Omosule polled 21.
For Ojo constituency, Isiaka Suarau 93 over his runners-up, Cornelius Ojelabi had 5; Fatai Akinderu was unopposed with 30 votes for Oshodi I; in Oshodi II, it was one of governor Fashola’s protocol officers, Muniru Abiodun that polled 35 to beat serving representative Kayode Ajatta with 12.
In Shomolu, Ayodeji Jakande had 45 votes over the duo of Adefuye Adedayo and Sulaimon Akeem who scored 12 each; a serving representative Femi Gbajabiamila was returned with 39 votes to beat St. Wonder Olusegun with 11 votes in Surulere I constituency, while Akinyemi Adetutu had 40 votes over Aliu Kazeem who had 15 for Surulere II federal constituency.
However, in the state Assembly, only 26 of the 37 members including the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji made it back to the House.
The election which kicked off at about 12 noon continued till about 11.30 pm when Media Men were asked to leave the voting room by the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Sen. Tokumboh Afikuyomi.
The media were told to come back the next morning when the ballot woul be counted and result announced.
In a shocking turn of events, the results were announced at about 3pm on Lagos State Television (LTV) and the Television Continental (TVC).
However, a collated result sheet and recorded tape of the announcement were issued at about 3pm on Thursday to other electronics and print media at the party’s secretariat by its assistant state Publicity Secretary, Chief Funso Ologunde.
Reacting to protests by the media on why the result should be given to two media houses after everyone was asked to leave, Ologunde said that they called back Journalists at about 12 midnight but only two returned.
“Let me also say that the A.C.N constitution did not say we must count result in the presence of Journalists’’ he said.
On the allegations by the INEC official, he said: “am not aware, you are just informing me.
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