Members of the All Progressives Congress in Amuwo Odofin Constituency I on Wednesday endorsed Ola Folorunsho, popularly known as Western, during the party’s State Assembly primary election at Ward C, 512 Road, Festac Town, Lagos.
A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that party faithful, including persons living with disabilities, queued behind agents representing their preferred aspirants in line with the APC’s Option A4 voting system.
The exercise, which began at about 3:10 p.m. after electoral officials arrived at 2:25 p.m., featured four aspirants.
The aspirants were Eniola Ado, Bethel Olulade, Ola Folorunsho, and Kamorudeen Ogunbadejo.
The process was almost disrupted at some point by a restive crowd of supporters who openly backed Folorunsho, prompting security personnel and party officials to intervene and restore order.
Officials directed that elderly members aged 50 and above should vote first, while party members without cards were disallowed from participating.
To ease congestion, the queue was later split into two groups for better coordination.
Announcing the results, Mukaila Kosoko, the Returning Officer, said the process followed the APC’s adopted protocol under Option A4.
“What we did today was in line with the protocol.
“That is Option A4, and we all saw how everyone lined up in a single file behind their agents,” he said.
Nigeria unveils net zero investment plan to unlock climate finance and drive green growth
Kosoko announced that Bethel Olulade scored 22 votes, Kamorudeen Ogunbadejo polled 25 votes, while Eniola Ado secured 31 votes.
He declared Folorunsho the winner after he scored 851 votes.
“I hereby declare Honourable Folorunsho Ola Western as the winner of this primary election,” he said.
Speaking before the exercise, Alhaji Mustafa Musa, Seriki of the Arewa Community in Amuwo Odofin, attributed the peaceful conduct of the primaries in Festac Town to strong community leadership and swift security response, contrasting it with reports of violence in some other parts of Lagos.
“Festac is a very peaceful place, and it has good leadership and adequate security.
He added that collaboration among community groups had helped sustain peace in the area.
“If you call the DPO, within two or three minutes, you will see the police.
“The OPC and the Arewa community have been working together for the past 10 years,” Musa told NAN.
According to him, the direct participation of party members in the process reflected a shift from previous practices where candidates were allegedly imposed.
He urged residents to participate actively in future elections.
Also speaking earlier with a NAN Correspondent at the Ward B venue on 23 Road, Stone Field, Festac Town, Mrs Aisha Shoyemi, an APC member from Ward B2, said many members came out to support Folorunsho, adding that the choice was aimed at sustaining peace within the party.
“Where there is peace, there is unity.
“We have already experienced the mistakes of the past, so we do not want a repeat this time around,” she said.
(NAN)
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
