Security operatives on Thursday mounted a heavy presence at the venue of the special state congress of the APC to select its governorship candidate for the 2023 general election in Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC Governorship Special Congress is holding at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as Onikan Stadium on Lagos Island.
The security personnel were strategically positioned at various entrances and within the premises of the venue.
Several patrol vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carrier were also stationed at the access roads leading to the venue.
Some of the security personnel at the venue included the Nigeria Police, Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Police Bomb Squad, and private security.
NAN reports that the special state congress had started with the accreditation of ad hoc delegates from the 20 Local Government Areas of the state as of the time of filing this report.
Members of the electoral committee for the primary were around and delegates were moving around, expecting the voting to begin.
Speaking to NAN, Ademola Sadiq, the Chairman of the Accreditation Sub-Committee for the Governorship Primary Support Committee, said he was impressed by the peaceful and smooth accreditation ahead of the election.
“The accreditation has been so well organised and some local government ad hoc delegates are only expecting two or delegates to be completely cleared.
“On the whole, we are 1,225 delegates. Hopefully, by my estimation, we have attended to about 800 people so we are expecting just some few from a government right now.
“In another 20 minutes, we should be able to be done with accreditation,” Mr Sadiq said.
He also expressed the hope that the exercise would be successful.
“I am expecting outstanding success of the primaries. We are lucky because the number of delegates has been pruned down because of the non-signing of the Electoral Act amendment (by President Buhari Muhammadu).
“We just have 1,225, so, within two hours, all of them should be able to vote and we disperse,” the chairman told NAN.
NAN reports that apart from the incumbent, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is seeking a re-election ticket, two other aspirants in the race are former commissioners in the state, Wale Oluwo and AbdulAhmed Mustapha.
Ogun aspirants demand direct primaries
At the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, the venue of the APC governorship primaries in Ogun, heavily armed security personnel manned the area.
Some of the security officials include a mobile police unit, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), State Security Service (SSS), and the army among others.
Five aspirants are contesting the party’s ticket at the primaries.
They include Governor Dapo Abiodun; former ace broadcaster, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf; Adekunle Akinlade; Owodunni Opayemi; and Biyi Otegbeye.
The APC is Ogun is divided into two factions: one loyal to Mr Abiodun and the other to his predecessor, Ibikunle Amosun.
Those at the MKO Abiola stadium belong to the group loyal to the governor.
It is unclear if the other four aspirants would take part, having earlier petitioned the party’s national chairman demanding direct primaries.
