Sanwo-Olu Will Be Beaten Black And Blue, PDP Boasts

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State chapter, on Wednesday said the emergence of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would facilitate a seamless victory for the PDP in the 2019 governorship election in the state.

Speaking to Daily Independent, Gani Taofik, the party’s Publicity Secretary, said the PDP would beat Sanwo-Olu and the APC black and blue, adding that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the APC, rejected the incumbent governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, for a second term in office because of alleged disagreement in the sharing of the state’s resources.

He said: “We don’t see Sanwo-Olu as a threat at all in the forthcoming governorship election. In fact, we will beat him and the APC black and blue. Our candidate will win him hands down because we know that the only reason why he has been presented is to be used as a conduit pipe to siphon Lagos money.

“It is obvious and in the public domain that the disagreement between Tinubu and Ambode is because of the sharing of Lagos resources. While one insisted that he must continue to get his percentage, the other said that it cannot continue and he wants development.

“So, I think Sanwo-Olu’s emergence has made our job very easy. We will beat him black and blue.”

In another development, Governor Ambode on Wednesday congratulated the winner of Tuesday’s governorship primaries of the APC in the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, saying it was time for the state to move forward in order to consolidate on the gains of the last three and half years.

In a statewide address on the outcome of the election, the governor said though the events of the last few days had been characterised by intense political activities which created palpable tension in the polity, the interest of the state superseded that of any personal ambition, and therefore urged members of the party and indeed all Lagosians to support the candidate of the party.

He said: “Fellow Lagosians, the last few days have witnessed intense political activities that have gripped the attention of the nation and created palpable tension in the polity. I strongly believe that the time has now come for the state to move forward in order that the gains of the last three and half years are not lost.

“Dear Lagosians, APC is a great party and the interests of our beloved state must always supersede that of any person or group. It is in this regard that I wholeheartedly congratulate the winner of the Lagos State APC primaries, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and urge all Lagosians to immediately support our party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 elections and work for the success of our dear party.”

While assuring that he would work to ensure a smooth transition in 2019, the governor said the progress of the state was non-negotiable, saying he would remain forever devoted to the development of the state as he had exemplified since assumption of office.

“As governor, I will do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition in the remaining period of this administration and ultimately to the new governor, come May 2019. I, therefore, appeal to all our party members that we remain one family and unite behind the candidate of the party, so that we can continue to move this state forward.

“The progress of Lagos State is non-negotiable. It is a project that I have passionately worked for in the last three and half years as your governor and one to which I will forever be devoted,” he said.

The governor particularly thanked APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the leadership of the party, and all Lagosians for the support extended to him, and urged the people to continue to support the party.

He said: “I wish to use this opportunity to thank our National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the leadership of our great party at state and national levels, all party faithful and all Lagosians.

“I thank all Lagosians for their faith and trust in me. I urge you not to relent in your support for our party as we prepare for the general elections.”

The National Working Committee of the ruling APC on Wednesday finally accepted the outcome of Tuesday’s governorship primary in Lagos State, putting to rest the controversy surrounding the exercise.

The Chairman of the Lagos State APC Governorship Primary, Clement Ebri, addressed the press on Wednesday to formally uphold the result earlier released by the Lagos State chairman of the party.

Ebri said while Ambode scored 72,901, Babajide Sanwo-Olu scored 970,851 votes to clinch the APC ticket for the 2019 governorship election.

The election had been marred by controversy after Ebri rejected the outcome, saying the election would be conducted at a later date.

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However, Tunde Balogun, the state chairman of the party, insisted that the election was valid and that the result would stand.

Akinlade Emerges Ogun APC Guber Candidate

In a similar development, the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday released the result of the gubernatorial primary conducted in the state on Tuesday.

Derin Adebiyi, the State Chairman of the party, said Adekunle Akinlade, the anointed candidate of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, won the election with 190, 987 votes.

First runner up, Jimi Lawal, according to the result announced at the party’s secretariat, Iyana Mortuary, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, polled 5,046 votes.

The other result, according to the Chairman, included Dapo Abiodun, 3,648; Bimbo Ashiru, 898; Adegbenga Kaka, 833, and Abayomi Hunye, 208 votes.

While fielding questions on why the result was not announced by the Muhammad Ndabawa-led gubernatorial committee, Adebiyi said the committee was highly and heavily compromised.

Adebiyi said the committee was emphatic on Monday that the election would hold on Tuesday, but went incommunicado despite assurances early in the morning.

He said it was on the strength of the assurances that party members were mobilised to their various wards while public schools were shut by the government only for the committee members to allegedly switch off their phones while electoral materials were not made available.

According to the chairman, disagreement started when the committee insisted on using ballot papers for the direct primary which, he said, was against the guidelines of the National Working Committee of the party.

He said since their duty was to supervise the conduct of the exercise while the local committee conduct the election, the chapter went ahead with the conduct of the election under the supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security operatives.

He said: “The committee was here and they were emphatic, after cancelling the exercise twice that the election would hold yesterday (Tuesday), this is after we’ve submitted names of local committee and venues in obedience to the guideline.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) morning, they still agreed that the primary would hold and we mobilised to our different wards but we waited endlessly as the phone numbers of committee members were switched off and electoral materials not available.

“Up till now, we don’t know the whereabouts of the committee and we’ve not seen them at the party’s secretariat. They’ve been heavily and highly compromised.

“The guideline is straight and unambiguous, its open secret ballot, which is option A4, but they said they brought ballot papers from Abuja, in a direct primary? To do what?”

The chairman said they had to go ahead with the election because they had the responsibility to do so, according to the guidelines.

He added that the party had kept the video recordings of all voting areas, adding that the result sheets were signed by INEC official and security operatives.

It would be recalled that the state government, in a live broadcast addressed by the secretary to the state government, on Tuesday, accused the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, of desperation to return a particular candidate against the wish of party members.

The government did not name the particular candidate but went further to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to call Oshiomhole to order and not set the state on fire.