Several opposition political parties in Lagos State have called for the cancellation of the Local Government Elections held on Saturday, July 12, citing widespread irregularities and undemocratic practices during the exercise.
At a joint news conference on Tuesday, leaders from the Labour Party (LP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), African Action Congress (AAC), Action People’s Congress (APP), and Accord Party accused the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) of bias, electoral fraud, and disenfranchisement of opposition candidates.
Pastor Dayo Ekong, LP State Chairman, whose speech was read by her deputy, Mr. Olasupo Ajayi, described the elections as a “premeditated charade” aimed at imposing the ruling party’s will on Lagosians. She condemned what she called “orchestrated electoral fraud” and vowed to challenge the results through all legal channels. Ekong criticized the absence of essential voting materials, including ballot papers and boxes, in many local government areas.
Similarly, YPP’s Olusegun Mobolaji highlighted multiple flaws in the process, including the omission of party logos on ballots, snatching of ballot boxes, secret relocation of polling units, and irregular voters’ registers. He stated that over 100 candidates from various opposition parties were disenfranchised due to LASIEC’s rigid actions. Mobolaji also revealed that appeal letters to LASIEC, the governor, and security agencies went unanswered.
Mrs. Abiola Adeyemi, APP State Chairman, recounted being threatened by alleged thugs for protesting the removal of her party’s logo from ballots in Badagry.
Accord Party’s Dele Oladeji accused LASIEC of acting as political players rather than impartial referees. He said the commission declared winners without presenting results and lacked transparency throughout the exercise.
Despite these allegations, LASIEC announced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won all 57 chairmanship seats and 375 out of 376 councillorship seats. The APC, through its State Publicity Secretary Mr. Seye Oladejo, thanked the electorate, saying the results reflected the people’s will.
The opposition parties insist they will not accept the declared results and intend to pursue judicial review to ensure a transparent and credible electoral process in Lagos State.