The Ogun State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared Hon. Abdul-Kabir Adekunle Akinlade as winner of its gubernatorial primary election held in the state on Tuesday.
The result was announced on Wednesday afternoon at a press conference addressed by the state chairman, Chief Derin Adebiyi at the party’s state secretariat located along the Abiola Way in Abeokuta the state capital.
Akinlade, currently a Member of the Nigeria’s House of Representatives was recently announced as consensus candidate of the party in Ogun State for the 2019 governorship election before the governor made a u-turn following a peace move.
The results, which were announced on Local Government basis, indicated that Akinlade won in all the 236 wards of the 20 Local Governments of the state, having polled a total number of 190, 987 votes to defeat all the other five governorship aspirants.
Giving a breakdown of the APC governorship primary election results, Adebiyi explained that the total valid vote cast stood at 207, 620.
He said Mr. Jimi Lawal came second in the guber primary election having polled a total votes of 5,046, while Prince Dapo Abiodun scored a total votes of 3,648 to emerge as the third position.
Others, according to Adebiyi, included Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, who scored a total votes of 898 to emerge fourth position, with former Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Adegbenga Kaka polling a total of 893 votes to emerge fifth position, while Abayomi Hunye polled a total of 208 votes in the guber primary election.
Adebiyi said his committee followed the guidelines as stipulated by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and that the exercise was dully supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the full glare of all the security agencies in the state.
Fielding questions from journalists on whether the exercise would not be controverted in the absence of the APC Governorship Primary Elections Committee members, Adebiyi alleged that the 8-man committee under the chairmanship of Muhammad Indabawa have compromised the conduct of the exercise in Ogun.
“That is their own business. The point is that they have given us responsibilities and we have to carry it out. It was dully monitored by officials of INEC and all the security agencies.
“From all indications, it appeared they have been highly compromised. If we were working within the ambits of our party’s constitution and in tandem with the guidelines, then we have not committed any infringement.
“The guidelines stipulated direct primary which should be by the Option A4 mode, there was no need for us to wait for any other election materials. Ballot papers would only be required if it is not by direct primary mode of election.”
