IKEJA – The Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship panel has finally declared Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu winner of the party’s primaries held on Tuesday.
The Chairman of the panel, Chief Clement Ebri, made the declaration on Wednesday in Ikeja, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the declaration contradicts the panel’s earlier stand that the primary, held earlier was invalid.
The committee chairman had argued that they were not part of the process and that the party chapter conducted the primaries entirely on its own
The state chapter had disregarded the verdict of the committee and declared the result late on Tuesday.
Ebri while affirming the result declared by the state chapter, said that Sanwo-Olu polled 970,851votes to defeat the incumbent Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode who scored 72,901 votes.
“The Lagos State APC governorship committee collated the results in the 245 wards from our collating officers.
“At the end of the exercise the following votes were scored by the aspirants: Gov Akinwunmi Ambode scored 72,901 votes and Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu scored 970,851 votes.
“Following the results, I, Clement Ebri, the Chairman APC Governorship Committee hereby declares Sanwo-Olu winner of the primary,” he said.
NAN reports that Ambode’s camp has yet to react to the development, which appears to have sealed the governor’s chances of seeking re-election on the platform of the APC party.
The governor has reportedly run out of favour with the National Leader of the APC, Mr Bola Tinubu, described widely as Ambode’s political god-father.