Dec 3 bye-election: Akinwunmi emerges APC candidate for Ifako-Ijaiye Rep’s seat

Ahead of December 3, 2016 bye-election to House of Representatives seat for Ifako- Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Honourable Nurudeen Akinwunmi, on Friday, emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after defeating his challenger, Mr Adisa Owolabi in the primary conducted by the party.

Akinwunmi polled 219 votes to defeat Owolabi who scored 166 votes in the exercise conducted by the APC Primary Organising Committee, headed by Mr. Ismail Ahmed

It will be recalled that the member representing Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives, Dr. Elijah Olu Adewale died in Abuja on July 20 and had since been buried.

Announcing the result at the end of the exercise, Ahmed said the winner, Akinwunmi, scored 219 votes, while his challenger, Owolabi, polled, 166 votes, disclosing that a total of 392 delegates were screened for the poll from 11 wards that made up the federal constituency.

He said that the total votes cast were 388 out of which 385 votes were valid, while three votes were void.

While declaring Akinwunmi as winner of the party primary, Ahmed, the chairman of APC Primary Organising Committee, commended the delegates and other stakeholders for their cooperation.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of APC in the constituency, Mr. Akintunde Fadayomi, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise, saying that the delegates had, by their conduct, shown that the party was disciplined.

Fadayomi, while adjudging the election as “beautiful,” and applauding both contestants to have worked hard, with a promise to do everything possible to reunite all the would-be aggrieved members, predicted that the APC would have a landslide victory at the bye-election slated for December 3, 2016.

In his remark, a lawmaker representing Ifako/Ijaiye Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Rasheed Makinde, also said he was impressed by the peaceful conduct of all delegates, urging the loser to take the outcome of the exercise in good faith and the winner to be magnanimous in victory.

The winner, Akinwunmi, told newsmen that he would close ranks with the other contestant and stakeholders to ensure victory at the bye-election.

An official of INEC in the state, Mrs Bose Oluwatomisin said the primary exercise was free and fair, noting that there was internal democracy at play.

“It was free and fair and the atmosphere was peaceful. There is internal democracy, the election had no rancor, though there is always room for improvement,” she said.

It would be recalled that Akinwunmi served as secretary for Ifako- Ijaiye Local Government Area, first between 1999 and 2003 and later between 2008 and 2011.