Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his All Progressives Congress (APC) appear to be heading for victory in yesterday’s governorship and house of assembly elections after recovering from the shock of the party’s unexpected defeat in last month’s presidential election in the state.

Early results in Kwara State are also in favour of Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRasaq and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

Same applies to PDP’s Siminilaye Fubara in River State and APC’s Prince Bassey Otu in Cross River.

The results however show tight contests in Ogun State between incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun and PDP’s Ladipo Adebutu, and in Ebonyi State between APC’s Francis Nwifuru, All Progressive Grand Alliance’s (APGA’s) Bernard Odoh and PDP’s Ifeanyi Odii. But Abiodun, in a tweet on his official handle @dabiodunMFR at about 10pm yesterday assured his supporters that there was no cause for alarm.

His words: “With the look of things, it is safe to tell our well-wishers ‘e lo fokan bale’ DA 4+4 is sacrosanct!”

Many of the results were on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal last night.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed, Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) hailed the conduct of the polls.

Labour Party’s (LP’s) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who had hoped to cash in on the momentum of his party’s defeat of the APC in the presidential election, was roundly beaten across the state yesterday, losing his polling unit 01 at Oshifila Street, Anifowoshe, Ikeja to Sanwo-Olu.

Rhodes-Vivour polled only 18 votes to the governor’s 29 while Peoples Democratic Party’s Olajide Adeniran got only two.

An apparently disappointed Rhodes-Vivour accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police of “provoking Lagosians”. Labour Party’s (LP’s) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who had hoped to cash in on the momentum of his party’s defeat of the APC in the presidential election, was roundly beaten across the state yesterday, losing his polling unit 01 at Oshifila Street, Anifowoshe, Ikeja to Sanwo-Olu.

Rhodes-Vivour polled only 18 votes to the governor’s 29 while Peoples Democratic Party’s Olajide Adeniran got only two.

An apparently disappointed Rhodes-Vivour accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police of “provoking Lagosians”.

He threatened that “if tonight Lagos catches fire, it is not our fault.”

The APC said the LP candidate’s statement portrayed him as a bad loser.

Spokesman for APC in the state, Seye Oladejo, said in a statement that “this scaremongering is typical of bad losers who lack the spirit of sportsmanship.”

Oladejo asked the security agencies to take note of Mr Rhodes-Vivour’s “threat to set Lagos on fire as his predilection for violence and warmongering is well known to Nigerians.”

He added: “Should there be any breakdown of law and order in any part of our state, law enforcement agencies should know who to grab – Mr Rhodes-Vivour.

“We are compiling reports of how APC supporters were harassed and attacked today. Some of the reports are really scary.

“Now the LP candidate is playing the victim. This old trick won’t work. Discerning Lagosians know they are all lies deployed to attract sympathy. Our party has no need to be violent because we are sure of the glittering credentials of our candidate Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who will never be associated with violence.

“We advise LP and its candidate to embrace peace instead of threatening to bring down the roof on everybody. It won’t work.”

Rhodes-Vivour had in a tweet alleged intimidation of LP supporters in the state, saying: “From all over Lagos, we are getting distressing reports of voter intimidation, voter suppression. The worrying thing about this is that INEC and the police have shown to be complicit in this.

“INEC still has hours to do the right thing. With the help of security agencies, the commission will be able to calm down a lot of things. A lot of areas are still under intense attacks by thugs and hooligans of the APC.

“I call on INEC, most especially, and the police not to set Lagos on fire. This is a state that houses 22 million people. Having that many people angry because of being disenfranchised is not something Nigeria needs now.”

Some of the results in Lagos:

Ibeju-Lekki local government Governorship Result: APC: 1,535; PDP: 124; LP: 226

House of Assembly results: APC: 1483; PDP: 176; LP: 218

Final Results at Ward F Agege: Governorship

 APC: 3292; LP: 929; PDP: 214

House of Assembly APC: 3126; LP: 1003; PDP: 191.

Ikosi-Ejirin LCDA Governorship: APC: 6594; PDP: 1181; LP: 159

Ibeju-Lekki LG Ward A Governorship: APC: 1,535; PDP:176; LP:218

Reports from Kwara State showed that Governor AbdulRasak recorded 867 votes in Oro Ward 1 against 456 for PDP’s Alhaji Shuaib Yaman Abdullah. The governor also got 1788 votes in Oro Ward 2 while Abdullah received 600.

The results reflect the trend of voting across the state yesterday.

APC, PDP in close race in Ebonyi

The APC and PDP are locked in a close race in the Ebonyi State governorship election.

The APC flag bearer Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru appears to be in the lead in most local governments in Ebonyi North senatorial zone.

He is also getting lots of votes across all the local governments in Ebonyi South zone except in Onicha local government area, the home base of PDP’s  Ifeanyi Odii.

The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Bernard Odoh, is leading in some local governments in Ebonyi Central, especially Ezza North and Ishielu. He is also doing well in Afikpo North.

Mr Odii is doing well in Abakaliki Urban and across many local government areas.

In all, it appears to be a tight race between the PDP and APC. Their performance in key swing local governments like Ịkwọ and Afikpo South may determine the winner of the elections.