APC loses six reps seats to opposition in Lagos

The All Progressives Congress has lost five House of Representatives seats to the Peoples Democratic Party and a seat to the Accord Party in Lagos.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that most of the reps lost in Igbo- dominated local government areas.

Sources in the APC said the love the people of the South-East have for President Goodluck Jonathan positively affected the PDP candidates, some of whom had not even been rigorously campaigning.

In Amuwo Odofin local government, which has a very high Igbo population, especially in areas like Kirikiri, Satellite Town and FESTAC, the PDP candidate, Oghene Egboh, who is from the Niger-Delta, defeated Mr. Ganiyu Olukolu of the APC.

In Ajeromi/Ifelodun, which is one of the most densely populated areas in Lagos State and is home to Ajegunle (another Igbo dominated area), the PDP candidate, Mrs. Rita Orji, who also hails from the South-East, defeated Taiwo Adenekan of the APC.

The story was the same in the Igbo-dominated Ojo LG, where the PDP candidate, Mr. Tajudeen Obasa, won the seat.

In Surulere federal constituency 2, which is home to Aguda and a few Igbo settlements, Mr. Tunji Soyinka of the PDP defeated Mr. Hakeem Bamgbala of the APC.

It was learnt that apart from the ‘Igbo’ factor, the incumbent rep, Mr. Aliyu Kazeem, had been in court with Bamgbala over the conduct of the primary.

It was learnt that the division within the party gave the PDP the opportunity to penetrate the community.

An APC leader in Surulere said, “We are still in shock. Haliyu Kazeem, who is the incumbent, lost the primary in December last year and refused to work with Bamgbala. He took Bamgbala to court and they are still slugging it out.

“If they had put things in order, we would not have lost. Bamgbala is a former chairman of Aguda Local Council Development Area and a good grass roots politician.”

In Mushin federal constituency 2, the APC candidate, Yemi Alli, lost to Dauda Kako-Aare of the Accord Party.

Kako-Aare, who is the incumbent, lost at the APC primary last December to Alli and defected to Accord.

In Oshodi/Isolo federal constituency 2, the incumbent, Mr. Akeem Munir, lost to Mr. Tony Nwoolu of the PDP.