Home » Low Turn Out As APC Wins Lagos East Senatorial Bye Election: APC’s Tokunbo Abiru polled 89,204 votes to defeat PDP’s Candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi, who managed to secure 11,257.
Low Turn Out As APC Wins Lagos East Senatorial Bye Election: APC’s Tokunbo Abiru polled 89,204 votes to defeat PDP’s Candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi, who managed to secure 11,257.
By Wale Abideen/LAGOS// Tokunbo Abiru of the All Progressives Congress, APC has been declared winner of of the Lagos East Senatorial bye-election held yesterday. The National Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, announced results of the election on Sunday morning.
The Lagos East Senatorial seat became vacant following the untimely death of late Senator Bayo Osinowo in June 15, 2020. And the December 5, 2020 bye election was conducted across the five(5) local governments that made up the Lagos East Senatorial District.
A seasoned banker and one of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s core loyalist, Abiru secured a total of 89,204 votes to defeat his prime opponent of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi, who polled a total of 11,257 votes.
The election which was characterized by low turn out and voters apathy depicts APC’s strength. It was evidently cleared millions of electorate were not interested in the election. Thus, less than hundred thousands voters decided for a population puts at above two millions people. Over 40 polling units visited by SECURITY MONITOR were with not with the usual ques and rushing associated with elections in the past. Voters approached polling officers and cast their vote without delay. The election however shows that the APC still enjoys the the supports of the majority in Lagos as the party chieftains were seen turning out in their numbers to vote for their party’s candidate.
APC’s Tokunbo Abiru polled 89,204 votes to defeat PDP’s Candidate, Babatunde Gbadamos, who managed to secure 11,257.
Abiru won in all the five local government areas in the senatorial district,
LG By LG Results:
SOMOLU
APC: 17,728
PDP: 2,067
Epe
APC: 22,213
PDP: 1,826
Ibeju Lekki
APC: 16,336
PDP: 937
Ikorodu
APC: 19,204
PDP: 3,766
Kosofe
APC: 13,723
PDP: 2,661
In company of her husband, Abike Dabiri-Eruwa,, former lawmaker and an aide to President Mohammed Buhari told SECURITY MONITOR that “the peaceful conduct of the election is worth appreciated” and that she would enjoin residence of the state to always replicate that gesture. Mrs Eruwa however attributed the low turn out to the weight of the election. “I think the low turn out is born out of the fact its only one senatorial bye election and many pepople many have been adequately informed about it. There is no rushing at the polling unit, we just walk in here, cast our vote and leave.”
Lagos State Majority Leader and Lawmaker representing Ikorodu Constituency 1, SOB Agunbiade did not only cast his vote but also waited in a notable distance to the polling unit, watching voters as they turned out at his Oke Ota Ona polling unit. He told SECURITY MONITOR that “the election has been very peaceful, devoid of violence and that his party is always a victorious political movement. He commends INEC and security agencies for an orderliness in the conduct of the bye election.
Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba, Vice Chairman, Ikorodu Central Local Government hints that “this is one of the peaceful election in recent times and INEC and particularly residents of Lagos East who demonstrated maturity and political civilty in this election are also worthy of commendation.
In his Victory Speech, Senator elect Tokunbo Abiru vows that “I commit myself irrevocably to the agenda I laid out before the electorate-offering people-focused quality representation; ensuring welfare of my constituents; working with my colleagues in the National Assembly to ensure special status for Lagos; promoting policies to improve national economic performance and financial sector development; implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); facilitating completion of all federal and state road projects in Lagos East; promoting ease of doing business; supporting the 5 for 5 agenda for police reform; supporting fiscal federalism and joining forces with colleagues in the Senate and members of the House of Representatives to ensure devolution of powers to the sub-national governments.
Thanking residents of the Lagos East, the senator elect added that “Within the limits of our statutory mandate, this is the time to make the aged smile; empower our jobless youths; minister to the vulnerable; secure the future of brilliant indigent children and support the implementation of the ideals of our party. To achieve these enviable goals, we are already in the process of establishing an Endowment and Empowerment Fund to actualize my private philanthropy. The Fund will implement different interventions we are coming up with in line with my agenda and the ideals of our party. Already, our team is perfecting the modalities for the implementation of all these intervention programmes. By the middle of January, we will unveil these programmes in full and begin implementation immediately”.
