Following accusations of fraud and rigging, a number of opposition parties in Lagos have demanded that Saturday’s local government elections be canceled.
Accusing the local government elections last Saturday of being rigged and manipulated, opposition parties in Lagos, including the Labour Party (LP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), African Action Congress (AAC), Action People’s Congress (APP), and Accord Party, have called for their immediate cancellation.
In addition to announcing preparations to contest the results in court, the Forum of Lagos PDP Local Government Chairmen accused the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) of undermining democracy and denying opposition candidates the right to vote during a joint news briefing.
Through her deputy, Mr. Olasupo Ajayi, LP Chairman Pastor Dayo Ekong spoke at the conference and stated: “The recently concluded Local Government elections were a carefully planned, well-executed charade intended only to impose the ruling party’s will upon the people of Lagos. They were not an exercise in democratic choice. We observed and recorded extensive abnormalities that LASIEC had planned.
She said, “We completely reject the fraudulent results declared by LASIEC in the affected LGAs,” in response to the results that were announced. Under her leadership, LASIEC’s reputation completely collapsed, and we personally blame Justice Bola Ighile for this injustice.
We have an unyielding resolve. Comprehensive proof of these crimes is being gathered by us. We shall take advantage of every constitutional and legal means at our disposal to stop this election theft. Until justice is done and the Lagos people’s will is honored, we won’t stop. “This daylight robbery will not go unpunished,” Ekong declared, vowing to take legal action.
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Likewise, Mr. Olusegun Mobolaji of the YPP chastised the procedure.
The timeline for this poll was confusing, laborious, choppy, and intolerable for opposition parties. The entire procedure was riddled with anomalies and irregularities. Two days prior to the election, LASIEC sent nomination forms to some parties due to certain problems. How can we give such an election legitimacy?
When Mrs. Abiola Adeyemi, the State Chairperson of APP, complained about the removal of the APP emblem from the vote papers, she said she was intimidated and just avoided being attacked by suspected APC thugs in Badagry.
Mr. Dele Oladeji, the chairman of the Accord Party, added, “LASIEC played the role of election participants rather than an arbitrator. Our opponent was LASIEC. The rigging was planned in advance of the election.
The PDP leader in Oshodi-Isolo and Forum Chairman Chief Adegboyega Adegbesan rejected the election results as invalid.
Elections did not take place on Saturday. It was an illegal scheme and a masquerade against the will of the people. Ballot box stuffing was rampant in PDP strongholds throughout the state. Ballots with pre-thumbprints were sent in bags.
Additionally, he accused LASIEC of purposeful logistical errors.
“Electoral materials were either delivered late or not at all in many areas, and documentation was purposefully lacking in order to irritate PDP supporters and lower turnout,” he said.
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