PDP Heads to Tribunal As It Rejects Lagos LG Election Results

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged election rigging in the just-concluded local government elections. According to PDP, it will challenge the election result conducted by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on Saturday that saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) sweep all 57 chairmanship seats and win 375 out of 376 councillorship positions. The party described the election as a sham and an assault on democracy. Addressing journalists at the PDP secretariat in Alagomeji, Lagos, on Monday, the Chairman of the Forum of PDP LGA Chairmen, Adegboyega Adegbesan, alleged that the election was marred by widespread irregularities, voter intimidation, and outright falsification of results. “From the onset, it was clear that the APC had no intention of participating in a free and fair electoral contest,” Adegbesan said. He alleged that in several PDP strongholds, ballot box stuffing took place on an unimaginable scale, with pre-thumbprinted ballot papers brought into polling units “in bags,” while electoral officials looked on helplessly. Adegbesan further claimed that PDP agents were harassed, chased away from polling centres, and denied access to collation centres, allowing results to be doctored even before voting was concluded. “In some wards, total votes recorded exceeded the number of registered voters, and in many places, election materials were either delayed or never arrived, especially in PDP-dominated areas,” he stated. The PDP said the outcome of the election poses a grave threat to democracy and vowed not to accept it. “This is not just a PDP matter. It is a matter of justice, equity, and fairness. If we allow this travesty to go unchallenged, we risk institutionalising rigging and suppressing the voice of the people,” Adegbesan warned. He hailed voters who came out to cast their ballots despite the hostile conditions, saying, “To the courageous people of Lagos who came out to perform their civic duty but met with violence, deceit, and betrayal, we salute your courage.” The PDP announced its readiness to challenge the results at the tribunal, stating that it had compiled “detailed evidence, eyewitness testimonies, video recordings, and official anomalies” to support its case. “We will pursue every civilised legal means to retrieve our stolen mandate. We will not recognise this fraudulent election or any of its so-called winners,” he declared. The party also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the conduct of LASIEC, while urging civil society groups, democracy watchdogs, and international observers to condemn what it described as electoral tyranny. “The Nigerian judiciary must rise above political compromise and uphold the sanctity of the law,” PDP said. In a final charge to citizens, especially the youth, the PDP warned that remaining silent in the face of rigging only empowers those undermining democracy. “The ruling party has shown, once again, that it fears the ballot box more than anything else. But we in the PDP are resolute, unshaken, and prepared for the long march to restore electoral integrity in Lagos State,” the party concluded.