Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the victory of candidates of All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s Lagos East by-elections was a vote of confidence in the party.
Sanwo-Olu said this on Sunday while speaking with State House correspondents during the visit of the Senator-elect for Lagos East Senatorial District, Tokunbo Abiru.
He congratulated Abiru and the APC candidate for Kosofe State Constituency II, Obafemi Saheed, who emerged victorious in the by-elections.
The governor advised the two newly elected lawmakers to continue with the tradition of excellent representation that Lagos legislators were known for.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abiru defeated his opponent by wide margin, polling a total of 89,204 votes against his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Babatunde Gbadamosi, who secured 11,257 votes.
Saheed polled 12,494 votes to beat his rival, Sikiru Alebiosu of PDP, who got 2,068 votes in Kosofe II Constituency.
Sanwo-Olu said APC’s victory with wide margin in the by-elections was a sound testament to the confidence the people of Lagos State had in the party.
He commended the electorate for coming out to perform their civic responsibilities and for voting in large numbers for the two candidates put forward by the APC.
The governor also appreciated chieftains of the party and members for working assiduously for the victory during the polls.
“I want to congratulate Tokunbo Abiru and Obafemi Saheed on their victory in last Saturday’s by-elections in Lagos East Senatorial district and Kosofe State Constituency II polls.
“Your emergence as federal and state lawmakers is a validation of peoples’ confidence in our dear party, the APC.
“Right from the commencement of the process, we never doubted that Tokunbo Abiru and Obafemi Saheed would win the elections based on their credibility and the massive campaigns in all the nooks and crannies of Kosofe II Constituency and Lagos East Senatorial District.
“The victory of the two candidates of our party in the by-elections clearly showed that APC remains a party to beat in Lagos, based on her achievements since the beginning of the current political dispensation in 1999.
“The successive administrations in Lagos have put the people at the centre of its action, resulting in several people-oriented programmes. This has continued to manifest in the voting patterns in the state,´´ he said.
Speaking earlier, the senator-elect, said that the victory was an affirmation and attestation of the acceptance of the leadership that Lagos under APC had provided over the years.
He said that the party would continue to give the value that was required for the people.
In another development, the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Aminu Ado Bayero, paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Sanwo-Olu to commiserate with the state over the EndSARS protest.
Sarkin Kano while briefing newsmen after a closed meeting with the governor at the Lagos House, Marina, said that the visit was imperative as the long relationship between Lagos and Kano State could not be overemphasised.
He said that Kano State would always feel the impact of happenings in Lagos while promising that the Kano State Government would continue to build an enduring and lasting relationship with the state.