Just In: Ambode gives up, backs Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has given up on his pursuit of a second term ticket, by conceding defeat to rival Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

In a concession speech, the rejected Lagos governor pledged to support the All Progressives Congress, APC, to emerge winner of next year’s governorship election.

Sanwo-Olu, heavily backed by trounced Ambode in the primary conducted in 245 wards in Lagos on Tuesday.

The electoral panel sent to supervise the primary initially rejected the result. But in a dramatic volte-face, the Clement Ebri committee on Wednesday accepted the result as submitted by the APC chapter in Lagos.

Read Ambode’s concession speech:

While affirming the result declared by the state chapter, Ebri concurred that that Sanwo-Olu polled 970,851 votes to defeat the incumbent Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode who scored 72,901 votes.

“The Lagos State APC governorship committee collated the results in the 245 wards from our collating officers.

“At the end of the exercise the following votes were scored by the aspirants: Gov Akinwunmi Ambode scored 72,901 votes and Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu scored 970,851 votes.

“Following the results, I, Clement Ebri, the Chairman APC Governorship Committee hereby declares Sanwo-Olu winner of the primary,” he said.