Protest rocks Lagos APC secretariat over primary results

Residents of Ikorodu Constituency I in Ikorodu Central, Lagos State, on Friday protested against the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Lagos State House of Assembly, alleging that the party declared an aspirant who came third as the winner.

The protesters, who stormed the APC state secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja, accused the party leadership of imposing Mr Bolowotan as the candidate despite claims that the incumbent lawmaker, Mr Gbolahan Ogunleye, won the primary and should have secured the ticket for a second term.

Speaking during the protest, Ayomide Banjoko, Woman Leader of Ward B, Ikorodu Central, said party members voted overwhelmingly for Ogunleye but were shocked when Bolowotan was announced as the winner.

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“We all came out and voted massively for Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye for a second term in Ikorodu Constituency I. Surprisingly, we later heard that the name of Bolowotan, who came third, was announced as the winner,” she said.

Banjoko urged the party leadership to reverse the decision and recognise Ogunleye as the rightful winner of the primary.

“We voted for Gbolahan and no one else. We did not vote for Bolowotan,” she added.

Another protester, Davis Oluwaseun, said the demonstration was organised to express dissatisfaction with what she described as the imposition of a candidate by the party leadership.

“We are here to show our displeasure over the results announced last Saturday. Hon. Gbolahan Ogunleye won the election, but Bolowotan, who came third, was declared the winner by the party,” she said.

Oluwaseun also questioned the authenticity of some of the results announced from parts of the constituency.

“There was no election in Ikorodu North, yet over 13,000 votes were announced. The same thing happened in Ikorodu West, where there was no election but results were still declared. Where did those votes come from?” she asked.

She said the protesters had submitted a petition to the APC leadership but had yet to receive a response.

“We want the party to address this issue. Gbolahan performed well during his first term, and we want him to continue because we believe in continuity,” she said.

Another resident, Iyabo Oduntan, also questioned the decision to declare Bolowotan the winner.

“How did Hon. Bolowotan, who came third, emerge as the winner? Gbolahan Ogunleye has touched many lives during his first term in office.

“We have been cheated because the party cannot take our votes and hand them to someone who did not win. Gbolahan has helped many people, and the party should look into this matter and restore his name as the winner,” she said.