APC primaries: Lawmaker commends turnout of voters in Badagry

Mr Babatunde Hunpe representing Badagry Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has commended a massive turnout of voters for the All Progressive Congress (APC) primary elections in Badagry.

Hunpe made the commendation in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr Whenayon Yonlonfun, on Monday in Badagry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that APC’s primaries were truncated in many parts of Lagos State on Saturday by hoodlums and party officials allegedly favouring particular candidates ahead of the July 24 local government elections.

According to him, the turnout indicated that the people of Badagry had confidence in the party.

The lawmaker said that he was particularly impressed by the number of people he met at the Gbenapon voting centre who were waiting for the arrival of electoral officers.

He denied a news report quoting him as saying that the results of the primaries would be determined by the executive of the party.

“When I was asked by one of the reporters about what would happen with the disruption of the primaries, I said: ‘I cannot say much, the electoral officials know what to do’.

“I am not an electoral official, I cannot say much on that for now.

“There is nowhere in my speech, where I mentioned that the executive of the party would determine or take necessary steps,” he said.

Hunpe alleged that on the day of the primary, everything was going on well until some people discovered that the voting was not in their favour and disrupted the exercise.

“The primary was well-organised by the electoral officials, it is those that brought violence to the voting centres that caused the problem.

“I am disappointed because we are all party members; you cannot because you are losing, bring violence and disruption," he added.

NAN reports that hundreds of aggrieved APC members on Saturday kept vigil at the party’s secretariat in Lagos to register their anger about the alleged lack of fairness in the exercise.