The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the winner of the Surulere Federal Constituency 1 Bye-Election. The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Fuad Laguda, emerged victorious with a total of 11,203 votes, defeating his closest challengers – Adeola Adebanjo Damilola of the Labour Party (LP) and Afemighie Jerry representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – by a significant margin. Mr Afemighie of PDP polled 278 votes while LP’s Adeola secured 240 votes.
Laguda, a former chairman of the APC in Surulere Local Government, will replace Femi Gbajabiamila, who vacated the seat after his appointment as Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu in mid-2023. Gbajabiamila previously served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023 and had secured re-election for a record-breaking sixth term before his transition to the executive branch.
Gbajabiamila, known for his close ties to former Lagos governor and current President Tinubu, resigned from the House in June 2023, leading to a bye-election to fill the vacant seat.