5th December, 2014
Kazeem Ugbodaga, Yisa Jamiu
Akinwunmi Ambode, former Accountant General of Lagos has emerged winner of the All Progressive Congress, APC, governorship primaries in Lagos by a landslide victory.
At the governorship primaries held at Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, Ambode polled 3,735 votes of the total valid votes of 5,725 cast to defeat 12 other aspirants in the results announced by Dr. Peter Obada, a representative of the APC National Primaries Committe around 8:13 a.m. on Friday after counting was done all through the night.
Following Ambode in distance second is the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Hamzat, who polled 1,201 votes. Senator Ganiu Olanrewaju Solomon, GOS, finished third after scoring 272 votes while the Speaker of thee Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforji came fourth polling 182 votes.
Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Supo Sasore came fifth after polling 121 votes while the former Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, Dr. Leke Pitan finished sixth with 112 votes.
Others are former Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Tola Kasali, with 69 votes; Tayo Ayinde, former Chief Details to former Governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, with 17 votes; Adekunle Idris, nine votes and Tokunbo Wahab, with seven votes. Mrs Tokunbo Tobun-Agbesanwa, Abayomi Sutton and Lanre Ope all got no votes.
The event which culminated in the result of the primaries began on Thursday at the Onikan Stadium where over 5,000 delegates converged to choose the governorship candidate that will fly the banner of the party in 2015 gubernatorial election in Lagos.
There was tight security at the venue as delegates of the APC met to select a candidate to represent the party in next year’s governorship election in Lagos. The atmosphere was charged but peaceful as hundreds of security personnel were on ground to ensure sanity while street urchins were kept away from the venue of the APC governorship primaries.
Anti-bomb experts were also on ground to screen delegates and people entering the Onikan Stadium.
Governorship aspirants at the venue were Olasupo Sasore, Senator Ganiu Solomon, Dr Leke Pitan, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Dr Kadri Hamzat, Lanre Ope, Dr Tola Kasali, Abayomi Sutton, Tobun-Agbesanwa, Tokunbo Wahab and Tayo Ayinde.
At about 12:59 pm, winner of the governorship primaries, Ambode arrived the venue to a tumultous reception as the party leadership announced the closure of accreditation in preparation for the commencement of voting.
Some of the APC leaders at the venue were Chief Henry Ajomale, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, Olufemi Pedro, Gbenga Ashafa, Abiodun Ogunleye, Alhaji Rafiu Jafojo, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, among others, while Lagos Commissioner for Police, Kayode Aderanti was at the venue to supervise his men to maintain adequate security.
Chairman, APC, Lagos State, Ajomale said the task before the aspirants was not going to be easy, but noted that all aspirants were qualified to represent the party at the governorship election.
“But only one will emerge of the 13. You are all respected leaders of the party, but remember that only one of you will emerge. There is no winner, no vanquish, you are from the same family. Whatever result we have today, know that it is not a do or die affair,” he said.
Earlier, Obada who moderated the election said the APC is a party set to change things in Nigeria. In the light of this, he said “charity must begin from our own bedroom. Lagos has been a model for democracy.
“I counsel you that we behave in orderly manner so that we do not cancel the credibility we have earned. Lagos State has lots of goodwill when it comes to democracy.”
According to him, aspirants had the right to complain and make recommendation to a committe that had been set up for that purpose.
He said the primary purpose of the APC was to capture power at the centre as the PDP had sent the nation into mourning because the unrighteous people were in power.
Before votings began, Ajomale came to the podium to announce that a text message had been sent to delegates using his name claiming that he had asked them to vote for a particular aspirant.
“I did not send text message or tell anybody to vote for certain aspirant, all the delegates are mine, vote according to your conscience, I denounce that text message openly here,” he said.
Ajomale said he forfeited his right to vote for the candidate of his choice in view of the allegations levelled against him, while describing the text messages as fraudulent.
National leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had earlier charged all the 13 governorship aspirants of the party in Lagos to accept the result of the primaries whenever it is announced in order to move the party forward.
The former governor, who was not at the event, had his speech read by the Lagos Publicity Secretary of the party, Joe Igbokwe. He said over 6,000 delegates had gathered to choose a governorship candidate among the 13 aspirants, saying the event marked the beginning of the march for democracy.
According to Tinubu, the ememies of the party are waiting to see if the APC would fail, urging the aspirants that none of them should tear the party. “No one should tear down, let us put the enemies to shame and remain as one big family,” he appealed to the contestants.