Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
-Opposition parties accept results
Nigeria’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), has declared the incumbent member of the House of Representatives representing the Ikorodu Federal Constituency and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rep. Babajimi Benson as the winner of the Saturday election for the seat.
Benson was declared winner and returned by the Returning Officer for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency election, Prof. Victor Ayole, at the INEC office, GRA, Ikorodu, on Sunday, February 26, 2023.
“I, Professor Victor Ayole, l am the Returning Officer in Ikorodu Federal Constituency election held on the 25th day of February”, Prof. Ayole said
“The election was contested and the candidates received the following votes. Party A, Itodo Ojunogwo Peter – 553 votes, ADC, Babasola Babatomiwa Philips – 3096 votes, Oguntola Ayodela, ADP – 443 votes, Benson Babajimi Adegoke APC – 60,890 votes, Junaid Muhydeen Olasunkunmi, NNPP – 1299 votes, AbdulKareem Olugbenga Shittu, PDP – 15,966 votes, Dolapo Kuku SDP – 894 votes, Adenipebi Abosede, ZLP – 1240 votes
“Now, the declaration, that Benson Babajimi Adegoke of the APC, having certified the requirements of the law, is, hereby, declared the winner and he is return elected”, Prof. Ayole declared.
Rep. Benson, who secured his third term return to the National Assembly, addressing journalists after his return, was full of praise to his family, national leader of APC , party leaders and the entire people of Ikorodu for their support.
“I feel great and I am very grateful to God. I thank my family, my darling wife. I thank the leadership of the party. I thank Asiwaju Bola Ahmed for giving me this opportunity and for introducing me to politics and I thank the people of Ikorodu Federal Constituency for giving me this overwhelming mandate again, and the traditional institution. They all stood by me”.
The ranking lawmaker, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Defense, also thanked journalists and others.
“I thank you guys; the journalist and the average person on the street. The victory is overwhelming; the love, I have never seen anything like this. So, I am extremely happy and very grateful for the endorsement.
“If you look all around Lagos, Ikorodu has done excitingly well and I give thanks to everyone for acknowledging our modest efforts and coming out to vote for us. I thank everyone deeply and from the depth of my heart”, he said.
Hon. Sola Opeyemi Taiwo, Chairman, Elders Council, Labour Party, Ikorodu Local Government, speaking with THE IMPACT at the INEC office after Rep. Benson was declared winner, said that the Saturday elections were free and fair.
He also affirmed Rep. Benson as the winner of the contest.
“Yesterday’s election was free and fair. It went well. The security operatives were there and they did their job accordingly. The BVAS machine did well, but in some areas, only few people could vote and this created some issues”, he said.
“He (Rep. Benson) is the winner of the election., I give it to him because Labour Party does not have candidate for House of Representatives and Senate”.
Dr Gbenga Oshin, PDP Chairman, Ikorodu LG, who also spoke with THE IMPACT at the INEC office, said:
“With what I have on ground, I don’t have any issues with that (the declaration of Rep. Benson of the APC as the winner), but after doing my own review, if there’s anything, I know where to lodge the compliant for that”, he said.
