Jide Sanwo-Olu, a governorship aspirant under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has taken an early lead according results BusinessDay has seen so far.
Idiat Adebule, deputy governor of Lagos State who surprisingly voted for the contender Sanwo-Olu, explained her reason for abandoning her principal Ambode, “The party has chosen a man and it is that man that I will support and follow,” Adebule said while voting in Iba LCDA.
So far, the numbers gotten from about 14 wards as seen by BusinessDay, though not officially confirmed, puts a very high margin between both candidate with Sanwo-Olu coming first. It will appear that Ambode’s world press conference stating that the former was once arrested by the US government for spending fake US cunrrency has had little impact in terms of changing the minds of party electorate.
Sanwo-Olu is backed by the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to replace Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who is having a running battle with leaders of the party in the State.
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In several of the voting centres across wards in Alimosho visited by Businessday, Sanwo-Olu defeated Governor Ambode by a landslides majority votes.
In ward G north Abesan estate, Ambode polled 150 votes, while Sanwo-Olu had 1, 554 votes.
Also in ward D, Shagari estate, Ambode polled 9 votes, While Sanwo-Olu had 2,220 votes.
In ward C, Gowon estate, Ambode polled 39 votes, while Sanwo-Olu had 1,110 votes.
Meanwhile, some supporters of Governor Ambode in some wards in the council have alleged that hoodlums working for the APC prevented them from voting for the Governor. They stressed that several of Ambode’s supporters were chased away and intimidated with dangerous weapons in the voting centers.
A middle-age man, Tunde Olushola, said that several hoodlums intimidated and beat up several supporters of the Governor in a ward in Gowon estate.
“What is happening is not fair, a lot of us came out to vote for the Governor, but we were beat up and threatened. You can see hoodlums here beating Ambode supporters up here, that is why a lot of Ambode ‘s people are running away,” Olushola alleged.
But the electoral officer, at ward G Abesan Estate, Michael Olawale, said that the process was free and fair, while dissuading insinuations that the supporters of the Governor was not allowed to vote in the centre.
“You can see that the process is free and Fair, Sanwo-Olu won here, there is no hoodlums here beating anybody it is not true.”
Another unconfirmed source disclosed that Ambode’s commissioner of Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan has declared support for Jide Sanwo-Olu for Lagos State Governor and has directed Ejigbo members in Oshodi-Isolo to vote for Sanwo-Olu.
Meanwhile, after casting his vote in his ward, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the APC said, “It is a democracy day for us. It is even beyond me as a leader. Whatever is happening today, I have to submit myself to the party wishes.”
