A socio-political group known as Concerned Citizens of Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos, has rejected the results of the House of Representatives’ primary election conducted in the Federal Constituency.
The group, led by Prof. Adebimpe Akintunde, protested at a news conference in Lagos on Saturday, describing the declaration of one James Owolabi as the winner of the poll an act of imposition.
They wrote to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomole and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to allow the people’s wish to stand.
The letter obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and dated Oct. 5 is entitled: “No to imposition of Candidate with no Electoral Value.” According to the group, the result of the election is unacceptable to the people of Ojokoro and Ifako-Ijaiye because the declared winner allegedly came third in the election.
“We the good people of Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency hereby reject the attempt to impose an unpopular candidate on us by some self-serving leaders in Lagos West.
“Information reaching us indicated that these people want to replace the name of Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi, who won the election, with Hon. James Owolabi, who came third in the primaries election of Oct. 4.
“We the good people of Ifako Ijaiye and Ojokoro desire good and effective representation, and as such, we will appreciate that the best candidate for the job based on popular demand should represent us,” the group said.
They alleged that one of the aspirants in the election went to Ward H with hired thugs and street urchins to unleash mayhem on the innocent voters using dangerous weapons.
“The resultant effect being that the voters have to run for their dear lives. It was after the voters have dispersed that figures were falsified to favour him.
“The same was also perpetrated in Ward G. While the election of the falsified result in Ward H has been cancelled, and the Ward E, F and G results declared inconclusive due to violence,” they alleged.
The group appealed to Tinubu and the National Working Committee of the party to declare the primaries in Ward E, F, and G inconclusive and provide a rerun in these wards with maximum security.
“We recommend sanction for the sponsors of the perpetrators of the crimes by bringing them to book. They should declare Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi as winner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, having secured the highest number of votes based on the outcomes of the undisputed results across the fourteen wards.
“It is only by this gesture that our sweat and most especially, the blood of the innocent voters murdered in cold blood will not be in vain,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Fafunmi, a third-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, is seeking the federal seat the first time.
