The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared incumbent lawmaker, Honourable Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde Okanlawon, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Kosofe Constituency 1 election held on Saturday 18th of March, 2023.
Professor Ismaila Adeleke, the INEC are turning officer, announced Mr Okanlawon Sanni as winner of the poll
Professor Adeleke, the returning officer for Kosofe Constituency, who declared the results at about 8:46 a.m. at the INEC Collation Centre in Ogudu, said Mr Okanlawon secured 11,649 votes.
With the figure, Professor Adeleke, said Mr Okanlawon beat his closest opponent, Akinwande Osikominu of the Labour Party (LP), who got 11, 563 votes.
According to Professor Adelek, ten political parties contested for the Kosofe Constituency 1 seat.
The returning officer said that the election was contested and the candidates recorded the following votes.
Ogundare Oluwaseyi Olawale, AA, scored 7 votes: Ogunlami Opeyemi Benjamin, AAC, scored 172 votes; Okafor Abraham Oghenero, ADC, scored 241 votes; Afolabi Omotolani, ADP, 61; Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde, APC, 11,649; Moriyole Olukunle Akinmuyiwa, BP, 19; Akinwande Osikominu, LP, 11,563; Latifu Alamu Aderinwale, NNPP, 54; Owoaje Babasola Gabriel, PDP, 1,253 and Carew Olanrewaju , SDP, scored 7,242 votes.
Professor Adeleke, said, “I, Prof. Ismail Adeleke, hereby, certify that I am the Returning Officer for the Kosofe State House of Assembly election, held on the 18th day of March, 2023 that the election was contested.
“Okanlawon having scored the highest votes at the election, has won the Kosofe Constituency 1 seat.
“l, hereby, declare Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde Okanlawon, winner and returned elected on 19th March, 2023.
“Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde Okanlawon of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, has scored the highest number of votes, he is hereby declared the winner and returned elected on 19th March, 2023,” Professor Adeleke concluded.
Reacting to the declaration, Honourable Sanni Babatunde Okanlawon, dramatically, prostrated to the Almighty God in gratitude. OKLA as he is being addressed, expressed his gratitude, while noting that politicians played the ethnic card, in which he feels that hard work, competence and performance are no longer rewarded in our politics. He said “ I thank God for this day, it has been bumpy and rough, but we thank God that He made it possible. We went through tribulation.
“People played ethnic cards, which is not supposed to be a measure. Going through that route is unfortunate, to say the least. That is supposed to be the last in measuring whom to be elected into position.
“With this notion we are no longer considering all of those virtues, we are only considering ethic sentiments, it is really unfortunate. I think sometime someday we would rise up to address it and allow character, competence, diligence and hardwork to determine who is to be elected into political office.”
To my fellow contestants, my hands of fellowship are wide open to accommodate everybody, we are not foes, we are not enemies. let everybody come back and work for our party to grow, because our party is the party to beat, that had and has the well being of the people at heart, so the essence of governance is value additionally to large, so while you are developing the land in terms of providing infrastructural development.
