The chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State chapter, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, dismisses the party’s NWC panel declaration that there was no election stating instead that indeed the contest did hold across the over 200 wards of the state.
Patrick Andrew highlights the controversy.
The state party chairman took it upon himself to declared Babajide Sanwo-Olu the winner over incumbent Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the gubernatorial primary election, held Tuesday, in 20 Local Government Areas of the state.
Balogun, who described the exercise as free, fair and credible, maintained that it would be unfair to disenfranchize the 1.7 million registered members of APC following conflicting reports that trailed the conduct of the exercise.
“The primary took place and many of you were witnesses.
We did the election, conducted it in all the 245 wards of the state and I could see at the ward of Asiwaju, the national leader of APC.
It was visible there and you heard the results.
“I want to assure Lagosians that all the results were recorded and signed by all the agents of the two aspirants.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) witnessed the election.
“I want you to know, as the APC chairman in Lagos State, that those elections were free, fair and transparent because you saw people who voted there.” The panel of the National Working Committee from Abuja deployed to oversee the conduct of the election earlier denied any knowledge of any conduct of election in the state yesterday.
In announcing the results said, the incumbent Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State polled a total votes of 72,901, while Sanwoolu polled total votes of 970, 851 to emerge winner of the contest.
Lagos APC Primary: Ebri NWC panel chairman dismisses ward elections “We thank the members for participating in the election to peacefully select APC standard bearer for next year’s election.
“They did this with enthusiasm and dedication To be clear, an APC primary election was held in Lagos and this was in accordance with the party constitution.
“In pursuant to the constitution, it was stated that the primary would be conducted in direct open system where each voters would queue behind their preferred candidate.” Recalled that the Chairman of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr.
Clement Ebri, on Tuesday invalidated the governorship primaries purported to have held across the State, saying that it never authorised such to go ahead when the modalities were not followed as scheduled.
