Akinwunmi Ambode, the governor of Lagos State, has conceded defeat and congratulated Babajide Sanwo-Olu on his victory at the just-concluded All Progressives Congress, APC, State governorship primary.
Tunde Balogun, the chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday, October 2, 2018, declared Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the winner of the party’s governorship primary.
Balogun declared that Sanwo-Olu polled 970, 851 votes to defeat incumbent Governor Ambode with 72,901 votes.
Balogun declared the election free and fair, thanking members of the party for coming out to vote.
Earlier in the day, the National Working Committee panel sent from Abuja to oversee the election had declared that primary as invalid.
The panel led by Mr Clement Ebri, said the primary could not have held because the modality for its conduct was still being ironed out.
But Balogun insisted that the poll held and it was valid.
“It is my pleasure and delight to read the result of the election, conducted all over Lagos State, in all the 245 wards, to the public.
“The results are as follows: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, recorded 72, 901 votes; Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu had 970, 851 votes. Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu is the winner of today’s primary election,” Balogun said.
In a concession speech, the humbled Lagos governor pledged to support the All Progressives Congress, APC, to emerge winner of next year’s governorship election.
Sanwo-Olu, heavily backed by trounced Ambode in the primary conducted in 245 wards in Lagos on Tuesday.
The electoral panel sent to supervise the primary initially rejected the result. But in a dramatic volte-face, the Clement Ebri committee on Wednesday accepted the result as submitted by the APC chapter in Lagos.
Ambode’s concession speech:
