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By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its primaries to elect the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 elections, the fate of Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and two other contenders will be decided by 1,225 state delegates.
Sanwo-Olu, who is eyeing the party ticket for a second term, is being challenged by the duo of
Wale Oluwo, a former Commissioner for Energy, and Mustapha Olorunfemi, the former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy; both served during the immediate past administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
1,225 state delegates that will decide the fate of the trio were drawn from 245 Wards; five delegates per ward, from 20 statutory Local Government Areas of the state.
The primary is holding amid tight security at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly, Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island.
The security personnel on the ground comprised of men of Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Lagos State Neighborhood and Safety Corps, as of 12. 50pm, only one governorship aspirant out of the three was present in the person of Sanwo-Olu.
All necessary materials and officials, including officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, are on the ground for the exercise.
At 1:15 pm, Adamu Shettima, former deputy governor of Borno State, who is the chairman of the electoral committee of the primary, addressed the gathering.
According to him, “this is an important an assignment that is worth the trouble. We are here to renew the mandate of the Governor in Lagos State. I know we are all one family.
“Lagos is very important to APC, considering the fact that we are hoping that the next Presidential candidate will come out from.”
Shettima later called for the commencement of the election process, which was immediately preceded by the accreditation of delegates.
As of 1: 54 pm, all the party’s 1,198 delegates were officially accredited for the election and Agege Local Government’s delegates kicked off the voting.
At 2:20 pm heavy rain disrupted the process, causing voting to be put on hold. Many observers and journalists narrowly escape from a collapsing stage they were sitting on.
Before Governor Sanwo-Olu bought his nomination forms, there had been rumours that APC power brokers in the state had drafted Mr Mustapha to succeed the governor; sparking memories of 2018 when Mr Sanwo-Olu replaced the then governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
But the unanimous endorsement by the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the Lagos APC apex leadership body, and Bola Tinubu, the party’s leader, put paid to the rumours.
The endorsements notwithstanding, Mr Mustapha and Oluwo threw their hats into the ring.
