The Forum of Lagos State PDP Local Government Chairmen and several opposition political parties have rejected the results of Saturday’s local government elections, demanding the total cancellation of the exercise, which they described as a charade and a daylight robbery.
At a joint press conference held on Tuesday at the PDP Secretariat in Lagos Mainland LGA, Chief Adegboyega Adegbesan, Chairman of the Forum and PDP leader in Oshodi-Isolo, declared that the outcome of the poll was fraudulent and would be challenged in court. He accused the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and the ruling APC of colluding to subvert the people’s will.
“What occurred on Saturday was no election. It was a charade and a conspiracy against the people’s sovereign will,” Adegbesan said.
He alleged that the election was marred by orchestrated violence, ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and massive ballot stuffing in PDP strongholds. According to him, PDP agents were assaulted and chased away from collation centres, and in some cases, votes announced exceeded the number of registered voters.
He also criticised LASIEC for failing to act impartially, accusing some of its officials of directly aiding electoral malpractices. “LASIEC has lost its moral and constitutional right to act as a neutral electoral umpire,” he said.
Adegbesan noted that the PDP had gathered video evidence, eyewitness accounts, and other documentation to legally challenge the outcome and “retrieve its stolen mandate.” He called on the National Assembly to scrap state electoral commissions and enact reforms to protect grassroots democracy.
Alhaji Isiaka Shodiya, PDP chairman in Alimosho LGA, also demanded the abolition of state-controlled electoral commissions, while Mr. Alade Yusuf, PDP councillorship candidate for Ward F in Yaba LCDA, said no collation was conducted before a result was declared. “We demand total cancellation of the Ward F election and a fresh poll with proper security and civil society monitoring,” Yusuf stated.
Also on Tuesday, leaders of the Labour Party (LP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), African Action Congress (AAC), Action People’s Party (APP), and Accord Party jointly addressed the media, echoing similar grievances and demanding a cancellation of the entire exercise.
Speaking on behalf of the LP, State Chairperson Pastor Dayo Ekong—through her deputy, Mr. Olasupo Ajayi—condemned what she called a “systematic, state-sponsored rape of democracy.”
“The just-concluded local government elections were not an exercise in democratic choice; they were a premeditated, meticulously executed charade designed solely to impose the ruling party’s will upon the people of Lagos,” Ekong said.
She alleged that widespread irregularities were witnessed and documented, including denial of access to electoral materials, prevention of opposition agents from entering collation centres, and intimidation of voters.
The opposition leaders called for LASIEC to be disbanded or completely reformed, accusing it of failing in its statutory duties and betraying public trust.
According to LASIEC, the APC won all 57 chairmanship seats and 375 out of 376 councillorship positions in the elections—a result the opposition parties have vowed to challenge through legal and political means.
While LASIEC and the APC are yet to react to this. The ruling party on Monday hailed its performance as a validation of the people’s trust. In a statement, the party’s spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, described the outcome as a “resounding victory.”
“This win reflects the enduring relationship between the APC and the people of Lagos. It confirms their confidence in our leadership and development agenda at the grassroots,” he said. (NAN)
Post a Comment