The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr James Owolabi, the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Ifako-Ijaye Federal constituency of Lagos State in the Saturday’s National Assembly election.
Prof. Smith Jaja, who is the returning officer, said Owolabi scored 34, 204 votes. His closest challenger, Mrs Fatimah Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, according to Jaja, came second with 18, 271 votes.
“Owolabi of APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and score the highest number of votes is hereby declared as the winner and is returned elected,” he said.
Others were ADC 290 votes, PPN 147 votes and AD 178 and UPP 119 out of the 49,056 total votes cast.
Owolabi would be replacing Mr Nurudeen Akinwunmi, the incumbent Federal House Representatives member.
INEC also declared the Senatorial election result which revealed that APC candidates Senator Solomon Olamilekan defeated PDP Mr Gbadebo Rhodes by polling 34,560 votes against 17, 680.
In the Presidential
election incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of APC defeated Alh. Atiku
Abubakar of PDP by polling 33, 419 votes against 18,100 at the constituency
level.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections held
simultaneously across the country yesterday,has been described as a litmus
test of what is to be envisaged in the second phase slated for March 9,2019.
Hon.Babatunde Adejare the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Reps candidate jostling to replace the incumbent Hon.Taofeek Adaranijo representing Agege Federal constituency, made this disclosure after casting his vote along with other electorates at polling unit 024(B) ward 6, having waited till the card reader which had issues earlier was fixed.
“Security here is quite fantastic,you can see police all over the place and I can assure you this would make our people really come out and vote,it is a good omen.
“My expectation is that I will win and same goes for every APC candidates and for the first time in this country,we would have 100 percent APC across the board.
“One of the card reader in my unit had minor fault but I have been assured it will soon be fixed,by and large they will allow everybody here to exercise their franchise.
Counseling the electorates on the development of malfunctioning card reader, Adejare noted that they should not let it deter them from exercising their civic obligation to Nigeria.
Hon. Oluyinka Ogundimu, member Lagos State House of Assembly after casting his vote hinted that the low turnout of voters experience in some polling units as a result of the general feeling of the people that this first phase concern a strata of government not too close to them aside the House of Reps.
“In terms of
voters turn out,I think one should even expect more turn out in the
governorship and house of Assembly elections because,they are the people that
are very,very close to the electorates, with some exception for the House of
Reps which is a little bit close,the Presidential and Senate are not that
close.
Ogundimu speaking about the security arrangement,said that,
“The security personnel did not disturb anybody going to vote,only if they
suspect a strange movement, that is the time they stop and search.
“This is good for everybody,I don’t have any problem with that. The
electoral officers are working by the rules,the process so far is. commendable.
“At our own level
we have sensitized them to come out that informs this people you are seeing.
Card reader
I think they should have alternative to the card reader problems, because there
had been some hitches in some unit,where they said they applied use of
methylated spirit, in cleaning the lens,but where it is not working they
should take action, everybody should be allowed to vote.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, also cast his vote at ward 15 unit 19 in Agege federal constituency.
The All Progressives
Congress House of Representatives candidate in Shomolu Federal counstituency
Barr. Ademorin Kuye in a chat with newsmen at the Shomolu local government
Secretariat, raised a concern about an allegation that his counterpart in PDP
was leading a number of able bodied men clad in black to intimidate
voters.
Unfortunately they didn’t come on time,the process was supposed to commence by
8am and our people were there by 7am,but by 8am we were still waiting till
10am, the materials are intact.
“I call on the police to help us caution the PDP guy who was going about with thugs and I heard information from a lot of our polling units where we still have people with strange looking faces,not resident in our local government.
“They have brought in some people as bodyguards,the information we heard is that they want to snatch our boxes, I have equally informed the DPO and Area commander, of this intention and we hope they won’t the disrupt the poll.
” I can tell you authoritatively that Lagos state belongs to the progressive,Lagos state belongs to APC,APC belongs to Lagos and we have our political history and people have been with us up till date have promised us to deliver. We urge them when they see people wearing black they should not be intimidated they should continue to vote.