“Babajide Sanwo-Olu has emerged the candidate of the APC for the Lagos State governorship election for 2019.”
Chinelo Obogo
Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been declared winner of yesterday’s governorship primary which was held in 245 wards across Lagos State.
State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babatunde Balogun, made the declaration at 9.45 p.m., at the party’s state secretariat.
He said Sanwo-Olu emerged the party’s candidate after polling 970,851 votes to defeat Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who got 72,901 votes.
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The state party chairman said this after Chairman of the National Working Committee (NWC) Governorship Election Panel, Clement Ebri, dismissed yesterday’s primary.
“To be clear, an APC election was held in Lagos State on October 2. Our primary was held in accordance with the party’s constitution. Pursuant to that constitution, it was decided that this primary would be conducted by a direct open system where each voter queues behind his or her preferred candidate. Not only is this option approved by our party rules, it is the option that is most favoured by the people.
“This method was used for the just-concluded presidential primary, our primary in Osun State and for all subsequent primaries conducted by our party. It would seem the most questionable practice for us in Lagos to switch to a different method at the last moment for this one governorship primary. Such a move would be tantamount to electoral malpractice.
“Those persons who now claim this election did not take place stands in direct opposition to the spirit of democracy and the express will of APC members in Lagos. The party faithful have spoken and it is their voice that is paramount.
“The Lagos state chapter of the party is committed to honouring their choice. Their decision must stand as the true expression of the APC in Lagos. For me, as party chairman, to see vast numbers of people come out and vote and then say that no primary took place would be to cast shame on the party and its leadership. That, I shall not do.
“I, therefore, declare that having polled the highest number of votes in the governorship primary, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has emerged the candidate of the APC for the Lagos State governorship election for 2019.”
In a related development, the NWC insisted yesterday night that today’s poll would go ahead, as planned.