Kunle ADELABU
The four term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and an aspirant for the Lagos East Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Bayo Osinowo emerged winner in the senatorial primary election held in Ikorodu yesterday.
Hon Osinowo partook in the exercise which was held across the senatorial district despite earlier report that he was disqualified by the APC Screening Committee.
The election witnessed massive turn-out of party members who peacefully voted for the aspirants of their choice.
Hon. Osinowo,popularly called ‘Pepper’, polled 29, 686 votes to beat his main challenger and incumbent, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa who polled 7,107 votes in the peaceful election which was held at the Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat on Thursday(yesterday).
Also, Hon. Babajimi Benson, the aspirant for the lkorodu Federal Constituency seat in the Federal House of Representatives, went into the contest unopposed and a staggering 31,003 votes to show his popularity among the party members.
At the centres visited by our crew, agents of the aspirants were seen raising the posters of their preferred aspirant while voters were seen queueing in front of their choice.
In some centres visited, election did not take place due to failure to agree on the modalities for the process.
While the electoral officers insisted on permanent membership card as the only means of voting as directed by the party, some members who did not have the party’s PVC insisted on using their slip.
In the House of Representatives election, party members also queued to affirm Hon. Benson’s popularity within the party.
Hon Benson, in the company of the Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Comrade Sesan Daini and his senior legislative aide, Mr Bayo Oteju, arrived Ward C4 voting centre at the Kith & Kin Playing Ground at 2.30pm and left shortly after speaking with some party members.
Voting results started arriving the collation centre at Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat around 3pm where returns from the 19 wards across the division were collated.
Meanwhile, the Senatorial and House of Representatives primary may have been cancelled by the party as a rerun already slated for today (Friday)
