PDP Wins Ibeju-Lekki Re-run Poll
By Maxwell Oditta and Michael Jegede, Lagos

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Okanlawon Soniyi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of Saturday's re-run election in Ibeju-Lekki Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

Soniyi reportedly garnered 8,005 votes, while second-placed Adewale Eletu of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) polled 6,867.

The Action Congress (AC) did not contest the polls.

Appraising the conduct of the election, the PDP, through its state Publicity Secretary, Wale Ahmed, said the election was free and fair except for incidence of ballot box snatching allegedly by AD supporters in some places he considered as PDP stronghold.

Lagos State chairman of AD, Raji Lateef, who was beaten up by thugs while monitoring the voting process, counter-alleged that the hoodlums on ballot-snatching spree were members of the PDP.

The AD has written a petition requesting to the INEC not to accept any results from units where ballots boxes were snatched.

The re-run election held in 11 wards of Ibeju-Lekki was marred by ballot snatching and shooting by hoodlums bent on disrupting the peaceful conduct of the election. Ballot boxes in polling unit 003 and 004 of Isiriwon/Igbekedo ward were snatched by thugs.

The turn-out as observed in some of the polling was poor. There were no elections in some polling centres, while the security situation was tense.

Public Relation Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Frank Mba, said however that more than enough police personnel were deployed to the various polling units.

Also, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Moses Ogbe, said he was impressed that election material arrived early at the various polling units. He promised to look into areas where some form of malpractices occurred.

"Our preparations were in order as at this morning (Saturday). By 6 a.m., we had already got all our materials from the divisional office to this place. And I think the last vehicle that left here was around 7.30. Materials got to the various polling stations on time.