- Challengers Kick
The duo of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday won the All Progressives Congress’ governorship primary, clinching tickets to contest for second term in their respective states.
Abidodun polled a total of 1,168 votes to defeat five other aspirants at the primary election which held at the Moshood Abiola stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun state.
Sanwo-Olu, a sole contestant, emerged candidate at the APC 2023 Governorship primary, held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly, Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island.
Five delegates from 245 wards across 20 recognized Local Government Areas participated. Sanwo-Olu during the exercise poolled 1,170 votes to emerge winner.
The exercise, however, didn’t go without rancour as members of the Lagos State Governorship Primary Election Committee of APC had barred two aspirants from the venue of the primary.
The Chairman of the five-man electoral committee, Alhaji Adamu Yuguda, while addressing journalists on the development said the two aspirants in the race were prevented from attending the primary election, because they were not cleared by the screening panel.
On the other hand, two of the aspirants of the Ogun State APC primary election, Adekunle Akinlade and Biyi Otegbeye, have rejected the chairmanship of the election committee and passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the governorship election primaries, Wale Ohu.
The aspirants, in a jointly signed press statement, expressed their reservations on the delegate list used for the exercise, which held at the MKO stadium in Abeokuta.
The two aspirants also complained that they were not included in the process of delegates selection for the primaries, alleging that only one aspirant collected all the delegate forms in the State.
“It was now surprising that the same Wale Ohu was again appointed to serve as the Chairman of the gubernatorial primary election in Ogun State. It is intriguing that out of the millions of members of the APC nationwide, Mr Ohu is having an exclusive preserve of chairmanship of all congresses in Ogun State.
“Our members who have bitterly complained about the partisan conduct of Mr Wale Ohu in all the congresses he had superintended in Ogun State are therefore not comfortable with the choice of him as Chairman of all the election panels.
“By his antecedent, we do not believe that he has the capacity to conduct an objective and impartial gubernatorial primary election,” the duo said in the statement.
