Go To Tribunal: LASIEC Boss Tells Council Polls Protesters

Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, retired Justice Adeyinka Abdulfatai, has asked aggrieved candidates in Saturday’s local government polls to go to tribunal to seek redress as protests continued to trail the election today.

This is coming as the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, said it has uncovered plans by the PDP to massively attack its leaders after the party lost Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Area, LCDA, to the ACN.

The LASIEC boss had announced yesterday that the ACN won the disputed council polls in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, by a landslide.

In the results announced officially by the LASIEC yesterday evening, the ACN won all the Chairmanship seats in the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, of the state.

He disclosed that the ACN also won 355 councillorship seats out of the 376 seats contested while the PDP won 18 seats and the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, won two seats. The councillorship election for Ward H in Mushin Local Government was inconclusive.

On the controversy that the PDP was denied victory in some councils, Abdulfatai said anyone who is aggrieved should go to the electoral tribunal set up by the Chief Judge of the state to handle such petitions.

“Aggrieved parties should go to the tribunal for redress. The Chief Judge has set up an election appeal tribunal because there is likelihood that some might want to go to court to seek redress,” he said.

However, the state chapter of the PDP has condemned the result of the election, accusing LASIEC of conspiring with the ruling ACN to manipulate the results in its favour.

The state chairman of the party, Hon. Setonji Koshoedo, said his party won chairmanship positions in Badagry Central LCDA, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Eredo LCDA, Somolu Local Government, Agbado/ Oke-Odo LCDA and Ojo Local Government, as well as many councillorship posts across the state.

He said: “ election was held peacefully in Badagry Central. The results at polling booths were distributed; same results were collated at ward collection centres and thereafter announced by the LG returning officer in favour of PDP. Yet LTV announced a different election result for Badagry Central. This action of LTV is highly condemnable and will be better addressed at the appropriate time and place.

“Similarly, in Ikoyi-Obalende, the returning officer absconded from the LG collation centre only to emerge at LASIEC Headquarters with a purported result. We have it on good authority that our candidate won the said area. Consequently, we call on Lagosians to condemn this injustice and rape of democracy. This is the time to stand up for our democratic right to choose our representatives ourselves.”

Setonji added: “we are glad to be aware that Lagosians have resolved to have a change of government at the grassroots level. That remains the reason they voted massively to effect change. The said decision of Lagosians gave victory to our party in many areas of the state.

“Unfortunately, LASIEC is being or about to be used to thwart the wish of Lagosians to effect change. These conspirators have been sponsoring the release of fake results from a hotel room. The said results are aired on the state TV. This is contrary to section 5(1) – (8) of LASIEC law which prescribes that election result can only be announced at polling units, ward collection centres and LG/LCDA secretariat.

“We state categorically that these undemocratic tendencies are unpatriotic and enemies of Lagos State. Alas! Lagosians must resist their arrogance. For the ranting of the ACN publicity secretary in Lagos State, we are not surprised. However, we advise that he must go for moral therapy in order to stop misrepresenting the feeling of an average Ibo man in Lagos State,” he averred.

He said Lagosians would notice that ACN members could not jubilate over their purported victory, adding that indeed any true success is expected to be celebrated.

“But even the so-called well wishers of the ACN are not celebrating at all. Rather, Lagosians are celebrating with PDP candidates. This confirms that Lagosians now know their genuine servants,” he said.

Similarly, Prof. Rufai Alkali, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that “the PDP wishes to express its profound sadness and total disappointment with the conduct of the polls.”

The statement alleged that the election was massively rigged and manipulated by the state INEC in favour of the ACN.

“While we have never doubted the ACN’s capacity for mischief, the conduct of its officials as well as the staff of Lagos State INEC in this election beats our wildest imagination.

“Our agents recorded cases of massive ballot stuffing, physical intimidation and clear cases of bias by the electoral umpire.

“We wish to place on record that some results, especially in areas considered PDP stronghold, are still being withheld while the leaders of the ACN in collusion with LASIEC officials are busy changing their figures.”

In the statement, the party demanded the immediate release of such results and commended the party’s candidates and supporters for “ braving all odds and putting up a great show in spite of obstacles.

“In a free and fair contest, the PDP remains the party to beat in every state,” it said.

The party also called on members and supporters of PDP to remain calm and law-abiding, adding that the party is “prepared to use every available legitimate means to ensure that the will of the people is truly expressed.”

It urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that the electoral officials arrested for electoral fraud in the state do not escape justice.

Irate youths this morning protested vehemently at the Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, LCDA of Lagos State, South West Nigeria over the announcement that the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, won last Saturday’s Local Government election.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC had awarded victory in the chairmanship election to the ACN candidate, Dr. Augustine Arogun against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Otunba Busari Ayinde.

The youths and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in their hundreds stormed the council very early in the morning and shut it down as no staff of the council was allowed into the council’s premises.

The youths blocked the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, causing traffic gridlock until the police intervened.

The youths vowed to make the area ungovernable as the PDP candidate, whom they believed won the election was not declared the winner by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC.

Owners of shops in the area quickly closed to avoid being caught in the crisis, while okada operators were not allowed to park in their usual parking space in front of the council.

At least almost 100 policemen from the Agbado Oke-Odo Police Station were drafted to quell the violence as the youths carried placards and demanded for a reversal of the result by LASIEC so that peace could reign in the area.

An Amoured Personnel Carrier, APC was stationed in front of the council while armed policemen were deployed to quell the protest.

A top police officer, who craved anonymity, told P.M.NEWS that the situation was under control and that the police would not allow the protesting youths to foment more trouble in the area.

One of the protesters said it was unjust for LASIEC to have awarded victory to the ACN, insisting that the PDP won the poll in the area.

As at the time of filing this report, the protesting youths were still at the council while the police were on the alert to ensure that the protest did not snowball into a violent one.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga & Jamiu Yisa