The Labour Party (LP) in Lagos has accused both the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of acting in bad faith and compromising the electoral process to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.
Speaking on behalf of the LP faction loyal to Caretaker Chairman Senator Nenadi Usman, Hon. Nifemi Adeyemi—aspiring Chairman for Ikorodu West Local Government under the LP—made damning allegations about the integrity of the electoral bodies.
“This is to notify the general public that LASIEC Lagos is no longer an independent body. LASIEC Lagos is a corrupt entity. INEC is a corrupt entity. INEC is no longer an independent body,” Adeyemi declared during a press briefing at the LASIEC office in Lagos.
According to Adeyemi, LASIEC issued nomination forms to a rival faction of the party that had already been sacked by the Supreme Court, bypassing the faction officially recognized by the party’s leadership.
“To our greatest surprise, yesterday LASIEC gave a nomination form to a different faction. A faction that was sacked from the Labour Party by the Supreme Court… Nigeria has become a lawless country,” he stated.
Adeyemi also claimed that LASIEC Chairman, Mrs. Bola Okikiolu, allegedly told his delegation she acted based on instructions from Abuja, a claim contradicted by INEC officials who denied issuing any such directive.
“Our lawyer is in Abuja. They are telling our lawyer that they didn’t give any directive,” Adeyemi said.
Adding to the discontent, Comrade Titi Oworu, the Lagos State LP Women Leader under the caretaker committee led by Rotimi Odunaike, stressed that all factions should be treated equally until INEC issues formal clarification.
“There’s a letter saying that we have four factions, and they [INEC] are not going to deal with any faction until there’s an acknowledgement on the 9th of June. So everybody is meant to wait until then,” Oworu said. “They are giving A. So they should give the rest. Give the four of us.”
She lamented being kept waiting at LASIEC’s office since 9 a.m. without any justification for the selective issuance of nomination forms.
“We are coming back on Monday with all our members, all the candidates, all the escorts,” she vowed.
Comrade Onafowokan Gbenga, Assistant General Secretary of the Lagos LP Caretaker Committee, warned that LASIEC’s actions could invalidate the entire election process if legally challenged.
“There is a Supreme Court ruling over this case… If they take this matter to court after the election, they will nullify all the candidates that come out of that account. That means they are actually working for APC,” he alleged.
Gbenga insisted that LASIEC must produce a formal directive from INEC or issue forms to all factions. “If they don’t give us a letter to that effect, they should give us our own forms too. Because we are ready to pay.”
In a statement, the Lagos State LP caretaker committee cited an earlier letter from LASIEC—signed by Bola Ikgile—stating that no faction would receive nomination forms until INEC provided clear clarification. However, the committee said this policy was abandoned without explanation.
“LASIEC had by its earlier letter stated that no faction of the Labour Party will be given nomination forms until there is a clear clarification from INEC, but in a twist of events and without such clarification, LASIEC has now given forms to another faction in clear disobedience to the Supreme Court judgment,” the statement read.
The committee also alleged underhanded dealings, claiming that money may have changed hands between LASIEC and the rival faction.
“All our demands for LASIEC to produce an INEC letter authorizing the issuance of nomination forms were rebuffed, and we strongly believe no such letter exists.”
As the June 9 INEC deadline to resolve the party’s internal crisis approaches, mounting pressure is on both LASIEC and INEC to clarify their roles and ensure the credibility of the upcoming local elections.
The Lagos State Government and electoral bodies have yet to respond officially, but the incident reflects increasing public distrust in electoral institutions and highlights the legal and political complexities of party factionalism in Nigeria’s democratic system.