By ADEYEMI ADELEYE
LAGOS- Voting begun late at the APC Governorship Primaries in Lagos State amidst tight security, and watch of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that voting commenced at 2:00 p.m. after completion of the accreditation of ad hoc delegates.
The primaries was slated for 10.a.m.
The APC Governorship Special Congress is holding at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as Onikan Stadium, on Lagos Island on Thursday.
The voting commenced with ad hoc delegates from Agege.
In his remarks after the accreditation exercise, Alhaji Adamu Yuguda, Chairman of the five-man committee, said that 1,198 delegates were accredited out of 1,225 ad hoc delegates being expected.
NAN reports that out of the three contestants for the APC governorship ticket, only the incumbent, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was on ground at the time of commencement of the special congress.
Two other aspirants in the race, a former Commissioner, Mr Wale Oluwo, and a former Permanent Secretary, Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha, were yet to arrive as at the time of filing this report.
On the presence of only Gov. Sanwo-Olu out of the three contestants for the APC ticket, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, the party Chairman in Lagos state, said that this showed the seriousness of the aspirant seeking the mandate of the people to rule the state.
Ojelabi said that the three contestants were all aware of the primaries, where the flag-bearer would emerge.
“I wouldn’t know why other aspirants are not here. This process is being driven by the party’s national secretariat,” he said.
Ojelabi said that the orderly and peaceful atmosphere of the primaries in the state was a symbol of what APC represented. (NAN)
