…Back LOD’s candidacy for the Assembly
Supporters and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Omupo Constituency of Kwara State have thrown their weight behind the outcome of the party’s House of Assembly primary election, insisting that the exercise was transparent and reflected the wishes of party members across the constituency.
The constituents, drawn from Omupo, Idofian, Ora, Igbaja and Agunjin districts in Ifelodun Local Government Area, also dismissed allegations of manipulation, urging aggrieved members to remain calm while awaiting the official declaration of the results by the party leadership.
Speaking on behalf of the constituents during a press briefing in Ilorin on Sunday, Comrade Abdul-Rahoof Bello (Labelabe), said the primary election produced a clear winner in the person of Hon. Lawal Olanrewaju David.
“Judging by these figures, no one should be left in doubt that Hon. Lawal Olanrewaju David has convincingly led other fellow contestants by a wide and comfortable margin,” Bello stated.
The results presented by the group showed that David secured a total of 2,904 votes across the seven wards in the constituency to emerge far ahead of other contenders in the race.
His closest challenger, Hon. Lawal Sulaimon Duduyemi, polled 1,197 votes, while Hon. Olorunsogo Andrew Oluwabiyi secured 701 votes. Hon. Mukaila Jimoh Adigun got 662 votes, while Hon. Jimoh Toheeb Mayowa Abolore finished with 100 votes.
The ward-by-ward breakdown released by the constituents indicated that David dominated key voting areas during the exercise. In Igbaja I, he polled 718 votes ahead of Duduyemi’s 209 votes, while Oluwabiyi and Adigun secured 40 and 48 votes respectively.
At Ora ward, David recorded another massive lead with 706 votes, leaving Oluwabiyi with 150 votes, while Duduyemi and Adigun polled three and 10 votes respectively.
The figures also showed that David secured 454 votes in Omupo ward and added 288 votes in Idofian I, maintaining his lead across most of the wards announced during the briefing.
Duduyemi, however, recorded his strongest performance in Idofian II where he polled 500 votes, ahead of Adigun who secured 300 votes and David, who scored 230 votes.
The group maintained that the outcome of the exercise reflected the democratic choice of party members in the constituency and should therefore be respected by all stakeholders in the APC.
“In this circumstance, the people have spoken; they have demonstrated their preference for Hon. Lawal Olanrewaju David to carry the banner of our great party in the 2027 State Assembly elections to represent Omupo Constituency,” Bello said.
The constituents also commended the APC leadership at the national, state and local government levels for what they described as a fair and transparent primary process.
“The transparency and fairness of the process gave every aspirant equal opportunity and strengthened confidence in the party,” the statement added.
They subsequently appealed to party members and supporters not to engage in acts capable of creating tension within the constituency.
“As we await the official announcement of the results of Hon. Lawal Olanrewaju David as the winner of the primaries, we call on all party members and supporters to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding,” Bello said.
The group further urged members to ignore rumours of alleged falsification of results, expressing confidence in the integrity of the APC leadership.
“We urge our members to disregard any rumour of falsification or manipulation. Please remain confident that the party leadership is composed of people of integrity who would not want their banners to be stained,” the statement noted.
Reaffirming their support for David, the constituents described him as a competent politician with the required qualities to represent the constituency effectively at the Kwara State House of Assembly.
“It is important to reiterate our confidence in Hon. Lawal Olanrewaju David as our flag bearer for Omupo Constituency based on our conviction in his intellect, character and good human relations to perform the responsibilities of representation, legislation and oversight functions of an Assembly member,” Bello added.
