Ahead of the bye- election holding in Surulere Federal Constituency 1 on February 3 to fill the seat left by Honourable Femi Gbajamiala, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Adeola Adebanjo, on Sunday, emerged the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the party primary held at Tejuosho, Lagos State.
Gbajabiamila is currently serving as Chief of Staff (COS) to President Bola Tinubu.
In the exercise, monitored by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led Mr Olugbenga Yakubu, Abejide Dupe Veronica, Bola Adewon, Eve Emuh and Mrs R.A Aliu, Adebanjo defeated the other two contestants by polling 12 out of the 18 votes cast, while his closest rival, Dr Adebayo Adefolaseye Adebomi polled six votes.
The third aspirant, Mr Kenechukwu Osuji, did not get any vote.
Before the primary, each of the aspirants were given two minutes to convince the delegates about their plan for the party and the constituency they aspired to represent.
The primary, which held under tight security, as joint forces of Operation Mesa comprising police and soldiers stationed their men at the venue of the primary and the adjoining street to forestall breakdown of law and order, witnessed delegates drawn from the six wards that made up the Surulere Federal Constituency 1 voted to produce the winner.
Speaking on the conduct of the exercise, Secretary of the Election Management Committee, Mr Sam Okpala, who is also the party secretary in the state, said the decision to pick three delegates from each ward in the constituency was a directive from the LP national headquarters, pointing out that the delegates were chosen at party congresses held last week.
Declaring Adebanjo winner of the primary, the party National Organising Secretary, Mr Clement Ojukwu, who doubles as the chairman of the primary, urged Lagosians and Surulere residents in particular to vote the party’s candidate in the coming bye- election, assuring them that he would not let them down.
Adebanjo, who was also the party candidate for the constituency in the 2023 general election, in his speech after winning the primary, promised to give the people of the constituency quality representation, through wealth creation, a good deal for the youth, among others.
