Opposition Parties Reject LASIEC Results, Allege Electoral Fraud in Lagos LGA Polls

Sunday Ehigiator

A coalition of opposition political parties in Lagos State has rejected the outcome of the recently concluded local government elections in the state, describing the exercise as a coordinated assault on democracy carried out by Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) under the leadership of Justice Bola Ighile (retired).

In a statement on behalf of the opposition chairmanship and councillorship candidates, as well as millions of Lagosians, who participated in the election, the coalition denounced the results as fraudulent, and the process as a “meticulously executed charade designed to impose the ruling party’s will”.

The coalition, comprising the Labour Party (LP), Accord (ACCORD), Action Alliance (AA), African Action Congress (AAC), Allied Peoples Party (APP), and Young Progressives Party (YPP), accused LASIEC of orchestrating widespread irregularities that undermined the integrity of the polls.

They said the election was riddled with deliberate sabotage, collusion between electoral officials and ruling party agents, and systemic disenfranchisement of opposition voters.

The parties claimed that in several local government areas, polling units either opened hours late or failed to open at all due to the absence of essential materials, such as ballot papers, result sheets, and ballot boxes. They stated that this disruption was not accidental but a calculated move to suppress voter turnout in areas known to favour the opposition.

The coalition further alleged that LASIEC officials actively collaborated with agents and thugs of the ruling party APC in the state to manipulate the voting process. Instances of ballot box stuffing, result tampering, and voter intimidation were reported, with Labour Party agents allegedly targeted for harassment, all under the watch of electoral officers who were expected to act impartially.

Adding to their concerns, the opposition pointed to the mysterious disappearance of names from the voters’ register at numerous polling units, primarily in opposition strongholds. They claimed this was a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise thousands of legitimate voters and tilt the electoral advantage in favour of the ruling party.

The statement condemned Ighile and LASIEC board for their public defence of the electoral process, describing their actions as an “insult added to the grievous injury inflicted on Lagosians”.