In a landslide victory, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Fuad Kayode Laguda, has clinched the Surulere Federal Constituency 1 seat in the House of Representatives, replacing former Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results on Saturday, confirming that Laguda garnered a whopping 11,203 votes, leaving his closest rival, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Adetokunbo Pearse, trailing behind with 4,107 votes.
Laguda, a former APC chairman in Surulere Local Government, expressed his gratitude to the electorate for their overwhelming support and promised to deliver on his campaign promises.
He also commended Gbajabiamila for his exemplary leadership and mentorship, saying he would continue to uphold his legacy in the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023, had won his re-election into the House for the sixth consecutive term in the February 25 National Assembly election. However, he resigned from the House in June 2023, after he was appointed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor and a political heavyweight in the APC. His resignation necessitated a bye-election in Surulere Constituency 1 to fill the vacant seat.
The bye-election, which was held on Friday, February 2, 2024, witnessed a low turnout of voters, as only 15,642 out of the 136,363 registered voters cast their ballots, representing 11.46 percent. The election was also marred by reports of violence, ballot box snatching, and voter intimidation in some polling units. However, INEC officials and security agents were able to restore order and ensure a peaceful conduct of the election.
The Surulere bye-election is the latest in a series of electoral victories for the APC, as the ruling party continues to consolidate its dominance in the country’s political landscape.
APC also won the recent governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun states, as well as the senatorial bye-elections in Kwara, Plateau, and Taraba states.
