Kunle Adelabu
-Pledges to partner with co – aspirant
The incumbent representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Rep. Babajimi Adegoke Benson, has been re – elected as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 General Elections.
Benson defeated his sole rival, Alhaja Mistura Ajisebutu Adekoya with 89 votes.
Alhaja Adekoya got only one votes.
Ballot papers were sorted and counted in the presence of all the delegates and every other person present at the venue before the Returning Officer (EO) announced the result.
A total of 95 delegates were expected to participate in the House of Representatives Primary election with 25 delegates each from Ikorodu Central LG and Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA), while 20 delegates were from Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA.
Ijede and Imota LCDA had 10 delegates each while Ikorodu West LCDA had 5 delegates.
The primary election took place at the Ita – Elewa Mini – Stadium, Ita – Elewa, Ikorodu, on Friday, May 27, 2022.
At the end of the accreditation, only 90 delegates were announced to have been present at the venue by the Electoral Officer.
The election commenced at 6.35pm when the Electoral officer announced the presence of the two aspirants at 6.39pm.
After the announcement of the two aspirants, the EO started calling names of the delegates one – after – the – other while they stepped down from their seat to cast their votes at the open field of the mini – stadium.
While the delegates were casting their votes, shout of ‘JB’, the short form of the name of Rep. Babajimi Benson, the incumbent representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency who is seeking re – election for the third term, rented the air as hundreds of party members and residents who were outside the stadium started shouting.
Meanwhile, the two aspirants congratulated each other and walked out of the venue of the election holding hands.
Rep. Benson, addressing journalists after he was returned by the Electoral officer, said
“Firstly, I want to thank my sister for being courageous in picking up the form to contest against me. I am very proud of her. Secondly, I want to thank Ikorodu people for given me the assurance and trust to represent them again.
“I also like to thank my party, also Prince Abiodun Ogunleye and all our GAC members. Today is a very happy day for me.
“I have never stopped in bringing development to Ikorodu. I am going to continue and I intend finishing this present tenure next year very strong because we still have lots of projects that will add values and make Ikorodu proud.
“I am also going to collaborate with her (Alhaja Mistura Adekoya) because she also has some lofty programmes which I like to tap into and together, we will make Ikorodu great”.
His opponent, Alhaja Adekoya, who stood by him while addressing journalists, commended and congratulated Rep. Benson on his victory.
“There is no do or die in politics. He is my friend and brother. He has been working fervently for the development of Ikorodu and Lagos State. I congratulate him.
“I will support him in any way and which ever way that he wants, I will stand by him. There is no problem about that”, she confirmed.
Former Chairman, Ijede LCDA, Hon. Fathiu Salisu, commenting on the House of Representatives primary election, said:
“You can see that all the delegates have cast their votes and you can see that the environment is cool and calm. There is no problem here and you see the delegates and aspirants together. It’s like a family affairs because in APC, we are one family.
“We thank God that we are seeing this kind of an election coming up in Ikorodu. It shows that democracy is really reigning in our environment”.
Hon. Motunrayo Gbadebo Alogba, Chairman, ljede Local Government Development Area (LCDA), said that the House of Representatives primary election in Ikorodu was perfect.
“It was a perfect election and transparent process”, she said.
