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Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi has challenged the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Agege Constituency 01, alleging that the result announced by the party did not reflect the outcome recorded at the voting centres.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Egunjobi expressed disappointment over what he described as the handling of the primary election by the party leadership in Lagos State.
He, however, commended party members and stakeholders who participated in the exercise, saying their commitment to democratic principles and the values of the party deserved recognition.
According to Egunjobi, results obtained from the various voting centres showed that he emerged victorious in the contest and was declared winner by electoral officials at the venue.
He claimed that records available to him indicated that he polled 9,132 votes, while fellow aspirants, Oladipo Tunde Shola and Gbenga Michael Abiola, scored 560 and 434 votes respectively.
Egunjobi alleged that despite the figures, Abiola was subsequently announced as the party’s candidate for the constituency.
He described the development as a departure from the outcome he said was produced by party members during the primary election.
“This is not merely about my personal political aspiration. It is about protecting the integrity of our electoral process and ensuring that every vote counts,” he said.
According to him, democracy can only thrive when the will of the people is respected, adding that confidence in the electoral process may be undermined when election outcomes are disputed.
The APC chieftain maintained that his intention was not to create division within the party but to seek what he described as fairness, transparency and justice.
He disclosed that he had submitted a formal petition to the appropriate party organs and electoral appeal bodies, accompanied by documents and evidence he believes support his position.
Egunjobi called on the leadership of the party to review the matter objectively and ensure that its internal democratic processes remain credible.
“The credibility of our internal democratic process depends on the ability of our institutions to act fairly and courageously,” he said.
He also urged his supporters and party faithful to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while the matter is being addressed through the appropriate channels.
Egunjobi expressed confidence that the dispute would be resolved through constitutional means, insisting that the choice made by party members during the primary should be respected.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Lagos State APC leadership and Gbenga Michael Abiola to the allegations were unsuccessful as of press time.
