By Agency report and our Reporter
The All Progressive Congress(APC) committee has denied Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s challenger,Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha access saying he was not cleared at Abuja screening.
Voting which began late at the APC governorship primaries in Lagos State amidst tight security, and watch of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that voting began at 2:00 p.m. after the completion of the accreditation of ad hoc delegates.
The primaries were slated for 10 a.m.
The APC Governorship Special Congress is holding at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as Onikan Stadium, on Lagos Island, on Thursday.
The voting began with ad hoc delegates from Agege.
In his remarks after the accreditation exercise, Adamu Yuguda, Chairman of the five-man committee, said that 1,198 delegates were accredited out of 1,225 ad hoc delegates being expected.
NAN reports that out of the three contestants for the APC governorship ticket, only the incumbent, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was on the ground at the time of commencement of the special congress.
The two other aspirants in the race, a former commissioner, Wale Oluwo, and a former permanent secretary, Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha, were yet to arrive as of the time of filing this report.
On the presence of only Mr Sanwo-Olu out of the three contestants for the APC ticket, Cornelius Ojelabi, the party Chairman in Lagos state, said that this showed the seriousness of the aspirant seeking the mandate of the people to rule the state.
Mr Ojelabi said the three contestants were all aware of the primaries, where the flag-bearer would emerge.
“I wouldn’t know why other aspirants are not here. This process is being driven by the party’s national secretariat,” he said.
Mr Ojelabi said the orderly and peaceful atmosphere of the primaries in the state was a symbol of what the APC represented.