The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants and delegates at Ikeja Constituency II say they are willing to wait all day and night to exercise their franchise in the party’s Lagos State House of Assembly and Federal House of Representatives primaries.

The aspirants and delegates spoke on Sunday at the Victory Home Schools, Toyin St., Ikeja, the venue of the party’s primary election.

They decried the non-commencement of voting as of 2:40 p.m., despite the fact that most of them had arrived at the venue as early as 7:00 a.m.

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) officials were on the ground to observe while the returning officers were nowhere around.

In an interview, Sunday Shodolamu, the organising secretary, PDP Ikeja, said that the aspirants and delegates were on ground, but he had yet to see the returning officer from the state, without whose presence the elections could not hold.

“The delegates, aspirants, security officials and Department of State Security (DSS) are also on ground, so it’s the returning officer we are waiting for now.

“We will wait till the returning officer is on ground, even if it means doing it overnight. We have made provisions for lighting, the election must hold, and a candidate must emerge,” he said.

Also, Lanre Osundairo, a House of Representative aspirant for the Ikeja Federal Constituency, said he was unsure of what was happening and could not explain why the elections had not commenced as he and other delegates had been on ground since 7:00 a.m.

Mr Osundairo, who alleged that rumours had it that the election might be hijacked, however, noted that any election held outside the official venue recognised by INEC would be null and void.

Similarly, Dewunmi Williams, an Ikeja House of Representative aspirant, decried the delay in the commencement of the election.

Mrs Williams stressed the need for all party members to join hands and work together.

On his part, Yakub Daranijo, an House of Representative aspirant, Ikeja Federal Constituency, lamented the delay in commencing the election but stressed that they were willing to wait till late in the night or the next day to exercise their franchise.

One hundred and forty aspirants are contesting the PDP ticket for the 40 seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly and 85 for the 24 House of Representatives’ seats.

(NAN)