Fuad Laguda, APC candidate in the ongoing Surulere Federal Constituency I by-election in Lagos State, says he is waiting to be congratulated as the winner.

Mr Laguda expressed this confidence while addressing newsmen shortly after casting his vote at Randle Primary School on Saturday.

The candidate, who cast his ballot at Polling Unit 009, Ward G, at 8:46 a.m. in the company of his wife and some followers, described the exercise as seamless.

According to him, the election process has been peaceful and smooth from the point of accreditation and voting.

“APC as a party campaigned seriously, and we approached people to come out and vote.

“As a party, that is the best we were able to do. we are hoping that they will still come out and vote,” Mr Laguda said.

The candidate urged registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to come out on time and cast their votes.

A septuagenarian, Tokunbo Bakari, after casting her vote at Ward G, polling unit 054, described the election as peaceful.

Mrs Bakari said the INEC officials on the ground gave them an orientation about the voting procedure.

Also Speaking, Antonia Abiodun, a voter at polling unit 015, Ward 7 in Shitta/Ogunlana Drive, commended INEC for the peaceful election process.

Speaking, Oluwole Oyedokun, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) agent at PU 004, Akinhanmi Cole, said, “Everything is going on smoothly, only that people are not turning up as of now.

“The process has been seamless and there is no violence.”

On his party’s expectations, Mr Oyedokun said the party was awaiting how the election would turn out.

Also, Omowunmi Akinwalere, the APC agent at the same unit, said: “The election here is very peaceful; people are coming out, and we are going outside to tell them to come out.

“The BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) has been working perfectly and we checked before the election started that the BVAS was reading zero. Nothing was loaded illegally on it.”

Twelve candidates of different political parties are scrambling for 121,111 votes of registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the election.

The political parties and candidates include Accord Party –  Akinyemi Da-Silva Elias, Action Alliance – Kayode Jelili, African Democratic Congress – Collins Aigbokhaode, and All Progressives Congress –  Fuad Kayode Laguda.

Others are All Progressives Grand Alliance – Jonathan Ololade, Allied People’s Movement – Samuel Uchechi Ekwuruke, Action People’s Party – Yinusa Musa Adisa, and Labour Party – Adeola Adebanjo Damilola.

Also participating are the Peoples Democratic Party – Afemighie Jerry, Social Democratic Party – Muyiwa Adedeji, Young Progressives Party – Oluwole Austine Brito, and Zenith Labour Party – Emereole Anthony.

The seat became vacant due to the resignation of the former occupant, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, who, after winning, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as his chief of staff.

(NAN)