Lagos: Aspirant rejects Agege Constituency 01 result, claims victory

The All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant in the Agege Constituency 1 House of Assembly primary election, Hon. Gbenga Abiola, popularly known as Agbelebu, has rejected the outcome of the Wednesday’s primary election in the constitiency, insisting that the announced result did not reflect the will of the people.

Recalled that Abiola, the immediate past Vice Chairman of Agege Local Government, former Sole Administrator of the council and former Secretary to the local government, contested the APC ticket for Agege Constituency I against the former Chairman, Hon. Ganiyu Egunjobi, under whom he served.

Both leaders were jostling to replace their mentor and Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mr Mudashiru Obasa, a sixth-term lawmaker, who had secured the APC House of Representatives ticket for Agege Federal Constituency.

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However, Obasa-backed Egunjobi was reportedly declared winner by the party returning office in the disputed primaries

Reacting Abiola, the National Coordinator of the Tinubu Media Force, a grassroots support for President Bola Tinubu, in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, described the declared outcome as inconsistent with the voting pattern witnessed across the constituency during the exercise.

The politician said that the massive turnout and support recorded in several wards clearly showed that voters overwhelmingly backed his aspiration.

He maintained that he won the election “fair and square” and alleged that the officially announced figures contradicted available evidence from the exercise.

According to him, several video recordings from polling areas showed voting patterns different from the declared figures.

Abiola particularly questioned figures allocated to him in some wards despite what he described as heavy support from party members and residents.

“In my Ward 002 alone, only 28 votes were recorded for me despite clear video evidence showing well over 1,000 voters with their slips present and openly supporting our movement.

“Also in Ward 003, less than 80 votes were allocated despite the massive turnout of over 1,200 voters with their slips visibly present during the exercise. Similar situations occurred across several other wards,” he said.

Abiola said that the announced outcome lacked credibility when compared with what transpired during the election.

He argued that the figures did not align with the visible participation of voters and the support his campaign allegedly enjoyed across the constituency.

“The results announced for Agege Constituency 01 do not reflect the people’s will.

“I won this election fair and square based on the overwhelming support demonstrated openly across the constituency during the voting process.

“The figures eventually announced are inconsistent with the reality witnessed by party members, residents and stakeholders who participated in the exercise,” he said.

The politician said that supporters and stakeholders aligned with his movement had continued to express dissatisfaction over the outcome.

According to him, many youths and residents who mobilised support for his aspiration believed that the exercise reflected a strong desire for grassroots leadership and people-oriented representation.

“The people spoke loudly through their votes, and no injustice can erase the reality of what happened across the constituency.

“We remain committed to justice, truth and the democratic process despite the controversy surrounding the announced figures.

“I urge all our supporters to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding as we continue to pursue legitimate and democratic channels,” he added.

Abiola said that further developments were being awaited concerning the disputed outcome as reactions continued to trail the election within political circles and among residents of Agege Constituency 01. 

Similarly, Abiola’s supporters, under the aegis of Agbelebu Solidarity Forum, described the results as fake and forged, insisting that no valid election was conducted across the approved centres in the constituency.

In a statement signed by the Director-General of the forum, Dr Jamiu Ademosu, in Lagos, the group alleged that what transpired across the wards were acts of intimidation and harassment.

Ademosu said the alleged actions were aimed at suppressing the will of genuine party members during the primary election.

“We wish to categorically state that no valid election was conducted across the five designated and approved primary election locations within Agege Constituency 01.

“What party members and stakeholders witnessed across the wards were acts of intimidation, harassment and deliberate attempts to suppress the will of genuine party members.

“Despite these unfortunate incidents, loyal members of the party remained resolute and stood their ground peacefully,” he said.

He maintained that none of Abiola’s accredited agents signed or endorsed the purported results currently being circulated online.

According to Ademosu, the results should, therefore, be disregarded by party faithful and members of the public.

“It is important to note that no accredited agent representing Hon. Gbenga Abiola, popularly known as Agbelebu, signed or endorsed the purported results currently being circulated.

“The so-called results are therefore fake, forged and should be disregarded by all party faithful and the general public.

“Furthermore, the hasty and suspicious announcement of these results raises serious concerns about their authenticity,” he said.

The director challenged those behind the alleged results to provide credible evidence that lawful voting and declaration of results took place in the constituency.

Ademosu said that if any lawful process was truly conducted, evidence of official announcement of results at the ward level should be made public.

“If truly any lawful process was conducted and won fairly, we challenge those behind the fake announcement to provide credible video evidence showing where and when the results were officially announced in any of the wards within Agege Constituency 01.

“We hereby urge all our supporters, APC members and the good people of Agege to remain calm, law-abiding and disregard every form of false and misleading result being paraded online.

“The Agbelebu Solidarity Forum remains committed to due process and democratic principles as we patiently await the official announcement from the party leadership at the APC Secretariat,” he said.

Abiola’s bid for the APC ticket has drawn significant attention within Agege political circles especially among his grassroots political structure in the constituency.