APC clears Lagos Assembly polls

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has reportedly won all the
11 seats declared so far for the Lagos State House of Assembly
election held Saturday out of the available 40 seats as declared by
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Report has it that the party won Lagos Mainland House of
Assembly Constituencies I and II, defeating the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP).

The Returning Officer for Lagos Mainland I Constituency, Dr
Adetoun Adenuga, disclosed that the APC candidate, Mr Ajani Owolabi
polled 17, 239 to defeat his closest rival from the PDP, Mr Shakiru
Agunbiade who scored 3, 568 votes.

The Returning Officer of Lagos Mainland House of Assembly
Constituency II, Dr Adetola Odubajo, declared the APC candidate
Hon. Moshood Oshun as winner with 8,896 votes to defeat the PDP
candidate, Kehinde Oyenuga who got 3, 259 votes.

The party also clinched the two seats in Epe constituencies 1
and 2. INEC declared Hon. Abiodun Tobun and Mr Oluwadahunsi
Ogunkelu, candidates of the APC, as winner of Epe I and II state
constituency election respectively.

The Returning Officer for Epe constituency I, Dr Aaron Adeoye
from the University of Lagos, made the declaration at about 3.30am,
on Sunday at INEC Office Collation Centre in Epe.

He said that Tobun emerged winner with 19,028 votes, to defeat
Mrs Elizabeth Oluwatoyin, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) who polled 2,540 votes.

Dr Adelaja Odukoya, the returning officer for Constituency 2
declared Ogunkelu as the winner with 16,227 votes to defeat his
closed opponent, Mrs Dolapo Ibrahim-Sadiq, who scored, 3,765
votes.

INEC returning officers similarly declared APC candidates
winners for Badagry Constituencies 1 and 2.

Hon. Setonji David, the incumbent APC legislator, was declared
winner of Badagry Constituency 2, while Hon. Ibrahim Layode also of
APC was re-elected for the Badagry Constituency 1.

Declaring the election results at the INEC Collation Centre in
Ibereko, the Returning Officer for Badagry Constituency 1, Mrs
Bosede Abiodun, announced that Setonji polled 14,533 votes to beat
PDP’s Alani Ajose who scored 5,209 votes.

Mr Kareem Bestoyin from the Department of Social Science,
University of Lagos and the Returning Officer of Badagry
Constituency 2, declared Ibrahim Layode of APC as winner.

Layode polled 12,098 votes, to beat Gbenga Fayemi of the PDP,
who scored 3,030 votes.

The total number of votes cast was 20,854 votes, with 1,534
votes rejected, while valid votes were 19,320.

APC also won Somolu 1 and 2 constituencies. INEC declared Hon.
Rotimi Olowo of APC, winner of Somolu 1, Constituency in the Lagos
State House of Assembly. Prof. Adebayo Otitoloju, the Returning
Officer for the constituency, made the declaration at INEC
Collation Centre in Somolu, Lagos on Sunday.

Otitoloju said that Olowo secured 16, 007 votes to beat his
closest opponent, Mr Olawale Akanni of the PDP, who got 2,651
votes. According to him, 18 political parties contested for the
Somolu 1 Constituency seat.

Otitoloju said, “I Prof. Adebayo Otitoloju, hereby certify: that
I am the returning officer for the State House of Assembly Somolu 1
Constituency election held on the 9th day of March 2019, that the
election was contested; that Olowo Rotimi of APC having satisfied
the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes,
is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”

Also, at the Somolu II Constituency, Hon. Abiru Rotimi of the
APC emerged the winner with 23,444 votes. The Returning Officer, Dr
Idowu Taiwo said Abiru beat Mr Babatunde Aleshinloye-Williams of
the PDP, who polled 7,221 votes. Taiwo said 17 others also
participated in the election.

Nollywood star, Hon. Desmond Elliot, candidate of the APC, was
also declared winner of the Surulere 1 state Constituency election.
The Returning Officer, Dr Bolajoko Dixon-Ogbechi from the
University of Lagos, made the declaration on Sunday, at the
Surulere Local Government Collation Centre in Lagos.

She said that Elliot emerged winner with 15,357 votes, while Mr
Benjamin Olasunkanmi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) came second with 3,628 votes.

APC similarly won the Lagos Island House of Assembly
Constituencies 1 and 2. Prof. Olaniyi Okedele of the University of
Lagos, declared Wasiu Sanni of APC winner in Constituency 1, with
18,305 votes to beat his closest rival, Oluwaseun Dosunmu of the
PDP, who scored 1,821 votes.

Total number of votes cast in the election was 21,237, with 914
void votes and 20, 323 valid votes.

In Constituency 2, Prof Solomon Akinboye, of University of Lagos
and the Returning Officer of Lagos Island House of Assembly
Constituency 2 declared Olarenwaju Afinni of APC the winner.
Akinboye said that a total of 19,121 votes were cast with 868 votes
rejected and 18,253 votes valid.

He said that Olarenwaju Afinni polled 16,010 votes, followed by
Sanni Ismail of the PDP, who scored 2,096 votes.

In Agege, APC won the two seats available. Speaker of the House,
Hon. Mudashiru Obasa won his Agege Constituency 1, with 17,434
votes to beat his closest rival, Tahid Muade of the PDP, who scored
4,743 votes.

Another APC candidate, Hon. Oluyinka Ogundimu won Constituency
2, polling 19, 489 votes. He beat Adebiyi Olanrewaju of the PDP,
who scored 3479 votes, according to the result declared by Mr
Anthony Adebayo, an Associate Professor of the University of Lagos
and the Returning Officer.

Nigerian Army Nabs Sponsored Political Thugs in Military
Uniforms

Credible intelligence available to the Nigerian Army (NA) has
confirmed the kitting of political thugs with military uniforms and
arming of same, to impersonate soldiers and perpetrate various
crimes in the furtherance of the activities of their political
bosses.

Sadly, these thugs have severally been wrongly viewed and
addressed as real military personnel on various social and
mainstream media channels including blogs, chat rooms and messaging
platforms thereby bringing the reputation of the NA on several
occasions to disrepute.

The NA understands that most civilians caught in the callous
onslaught of these murderous thugs might not be able to distinguish
between a genuine soldier from an impersonator, especially when
they are armed with military-type weapons.

However, several of such arrested impostors have given useful
information that has led to unravelling the level of criminal
involvement of some politicians in arming thugs for their depraved
selfish gains. Consequently, the NA would continue with the line of
investigations being pursued to bring to successful prosecution,
both the arrested impostors and their sponsors.

In the interim, the NA would continue to advice well-meaning
citizens to avoid been used as tools in the hands of such wicked
politicians who would go to any immoral length, including meeting
out violence, to steal the mandate of the people. “Nobody’s selfish
ambition is worth the life of an innocent Nigerian citizen”.

Additionally, the NA would continue to use every opportunity
available to remined Nigerians of its apolitical, neutral and
non-partisan stance. The NA would continue to execute its
constitutional responsibilities of providing aid to civil
authorities in order to create a safe and secure environment where
real democratic processes would thrive.

To this end, the NA would gladly welcome any information from
the public about known or suspected impostors/armed thugs being
used to perpetrate violence in the society, for the furtherance of
the wicked ambitions of any criminal individual. Please be assured
that every such information would be treated with the highest level
of confidentiality.

SAGIR MUSA
Colonel
Acting Director Army Public Relations