Dosunmu clinches PDP governorship ticket in Lagos

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Category: Politics
Published on Wednesday, 12 January 2011 08:10
Written by Punch
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A former Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, on Tuesday, emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State.

He polled a total of 431 votes, out of the 872 cast by accredited delegates, to beat six other aspirants, including a former deputy governor of Lagos State, Otunba Femi Pedro and an ex-minister of state for interior, Mr. Demola Seriki.

A breakdown of the result as announced by the Chairman of the Gubernatorial Electoral Panel for Lagos State, Otunba Tunde Morakiyo, showed that Mr. Tokunbo Kamson emerged second with a vote of 182; Seriki (120); Pedro (104); Owolabi Salis (14); Qudus Folami (eight) and Olalere Gbadamosi (five). Twelve votes were voided.

In his keynote speech, Dosunmu promised to work with the other contestants to wrest power from the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria in the state.

State Secretary of the party, Mr. Tunji Shelle, attributed Dosunmu’s victory to hard work, adding that he (Dosunmu) went round all the 20 local government areas in the state six times and met with the delegates and party members at the grassroots.

The defeated aspirants immediately accepted the result and congratulated the winner.

Accreditation of delegates for the primary election started at 12 noon and was not concluded until 6pm while voting did not start till 7.15pm owing to failure by the electoral panel to ascertain the number of delegates, among other things.

On ground to prevent a breakdown of law and order was the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, who arrived the venue at exactly 6.10pm in company with other top security chiefs.

Before the commencement of voting, Morakiyo apologised for not conducting the primaries on the stipulated date (Sunday). He also commended the delegates for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner.