Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
The All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Chairmanship and Councilorship aspirants for the forthcoming local government election, was held across the six Local Government and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ikorodu Division today.
Though, the exercise was peaceful at various polling centres covered by our reporters, the process started very late.
As at 9.49am when our reporter got to the Methodist Primary School, Igbogbo, the centre for Ward C primary election, the electoral officers were not on ground while hundreds of party members and aspirants were already on ground to exercise their rights to vote for aspirants of their choice as candidates of the party.
At exactly 10.53am, the exercise commenced as voters were asked to be on a single queue.
At the Ward E voting centre at the Anglican Primary School, Ikorodu in Ikorodu Local Government , there was no official on ground as at 11. 02am when our reporter visited.
At the Ikorodu Central Mosque Prayer Ground, the centre for Ward F , there was no official on ground when our reporter got there at 11.23am.
The Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade and wife, Yeye Adeola Agunbiade, arrived at the Ward F voting centre at 11.30am.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederick Oladeinde and the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Maritime Affairs, Mr Yommy Shopitan, also arrived at the same time with the Majority Leader.
The electoral materials arrived at the centre at 11.37am and Hon. Agunbiade voted at 12.11pm while his wife voted at 12. 16pm.
State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Oladeinde voted at 12.22pm.
At Ward B, the APC Chairmanship aspirants, Princess Folashade Oba and Hon. Azeez Jimoh Olosugbo who has been tipped to be her deputy if elected, arrived at the Etunrenren Primary School, Ikorodu, at 1.03pm.
Also at the centre, the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Oguntuase, was the first person to vote at the Ward B centre at 1.12pm while Princess Oba voted at 1.32pm.
Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, arrived at the Etunrenrren Primary School at 1.19pm and voted at 1.44pm.
At Ward A in Ipakodo, it was the same situation as there was no electoral official around when our reporter left the venue at 12.32pm, but the venue was filled with party members who were ready to cast their votes.
Voting was going on peacefully at the LG Primary School, centre for the Ward A in Ipakodo, when our reporter returned to the centre at 3.13pm.
While speaking with our reporter, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, the Majority Leader of Lagos State, said that the election was peaceful while he lamented the late arrival of electoral officials at the centre.
“So far, it’s been orderly and peaceful except that electoral officers were a little bit late, but our people are comporting themselves and waiting patiently to cast their votes.
“I have voted, and so has my wife and others too and the process is going on smoothly. This is our party’s primary and we are going to tell the world that we are very orderly”, he said.
Also, Hon. Lanre Balogun, speaking with THE IMPACT at the Anglican Primary School, Ikorodu, said that the primary election is an internal process of the APC.
“What you are seeing is the beauty of democracy. This is a grassroots politics and an internal party affair.
“All the people that you are seeing are loyal APC members that are here to exercise their power and at the end of the day, a winner among them will emerge.
“I pray that a process like this will continue to happen throughout the strata of our electioneering.
Mr Hamzat Jimoh, speaking with reporters, described the process as an opportunity to entrench democratization at the grassroots level.
“It is a democratic process and more of grassroots democratization. It’s a good thing that our party, APC, is giving the people the opportunity to choose their candidates, especially at the grassroots level of governance.
“It is an opportunity to allow people to determine who will be their Chairmanship and Councilorship aspirants”.
Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba, a Chairmanship aspirant in Ikorodu Local Government, said that she was overwhelmed with the turnout of people.
“I am overwhelmed at the turn out. I want to say a big thank you to the people of lkorodu for believing in our big party.
“Life is about process and this to me is democracy. That everybody is here and wanting to exercise their rights speaks volumes about the spirit that we have in our great party and so l am encouraged that at the end of the day, we will have a good, credible, free and fair election. That is what today is all about”, she said.
