By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The campaign team of Hon. Mojeed Fatai Adebola has rejected the purported outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primary election for Ibeju-Lekki Constituency I, describing the results being circulated in favour of Engr. Abiola Okanlawon Olowu as manipulated and lacking credibility.
In a statement issued on behalf of the campaign team, the group alleged that the figures announced did not correspond with reports gathered from polling agents, observers, and eyewitnesses across the wards where the election was conducted.
According to the statement, no transparent collation process took place at the designated collation centre at the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Secretariat, as agents and representatives of aspirants were allegedly denied access to the venue during the exercise.
The campaign also claimed that no open reconciliation or official declaration of results was conducted in the presence of party stakeholders.
Raising concerns over alleged irregularities, the team accused electoral officials of inflating figures in several wards.
In Ward A, the campaign stated that reports from its polling agents indicated that Engr. Abiola Okanlawon Olowu polled 317 votes, contrary to the 4,650 votes allegedly reflected in the circulated result sheet.
The statement further alleged that the election process in Ward B was disrupted by violence and therefore could not have produced a valid result.
The Adebola camp also pointed to alleged discrepancies in Wards E and F, claiming that figures recorded at the ward level were altered during collation. In Ward F, described as a stronghold of Hon. Mojeed Fatai Adebola, the campaign alleged that votes credited to their candidate were drastically reduced, while figures assigned to other aspirants were inflated.
The campaign additionally raised questions about the role of the Returning Officer, Hon. Lateef Rotimi Abiru, particularly regarding the handling of original result sheets and the basis for the final figures announced.
The statement also referenced allegations against Alhaji Bode Oyedele, husband of the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, H.E. Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele. According to the campaign, some stakeholders alleged that Oyedele had earlier boasted during a political caucus meeting that the outcome of the election would be manipulated.
Based on the alleged irregularities, the Adebola campaign formally rejected the declaration of Engr. Abiola Okanlawon Olowu as the winner of the APC primary election for Ibeju-Lekki Constituency I.
The campaign maintained that: No transparent collation process took place; Agents of aspirants were excluded from the collation centre; Several ward results differed from reports obtained by polling agents; and the final outcome lacked transparency and legitimacy.
The group subsequently called on the APC leadership, the party’s Appeal Committee, and relevant security agencies to investigate the conduct of the primary election and the collation process.
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