26th October, 2011
Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Lagos State, Otunba Henry Oladele Ajomale, has advised supporters of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to seek redress at the election petition tribunal if they were dissatisfied with the results of last Saturday’s local government polls which gave ACN victory in the 20 local governments and the 37 local council development areas.
In a statement, Otunba Ajomale described the protesting supporters of PDP as barbarians and called on the police to move swiftly and dislodge them from the secretariat of the Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Area.
“Against the background of the lawless, undemocratic and unconstitutional acts by PDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) supporters before and after the announcement of the result of last Saturday’s election into the Ikoyi/Obalende Local Government Council, we are compelled to remind the PDP that the Election Petition Tribunal, rather than the streets, is the appropriate channel for those seeking electoral restitution.
“We strongly condemn the PDP supporters who have decided to take the laws into their own hands by mischievously spreading falsehood that their candidate (Mr. Ibrahim Obanikoro) won the Chairmanship contest, even before the result was announced by LASIEC. It is on record that, hours before the close of voting at the election on Saturday 22nd October 2011, this PDP candidate himself went on Twitter and Facebook to announce that he had won the election and been elected the new Council Chairman, despite that voting was still in progress.
“These unruly PDP supporters invaded the Secretariat of the Council and drove away its employees. They also descended on the Ikoyi/Obalende office of LASIEC (Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission), as the Commission was collating the results of the election, forcing the LASIEC staff to relocate to a safer place from where they announced the result of the election, which was won by our party, the Action Congress of Nigeria.
“We are astonished at the brazen act of lawlessness exhibited by the rampaging PDP supporters, and strongly condemn them as barbarians who have chosen to take the law into their own hands.
“It is an irony that those who chose to engage in sheer thuggery over the outcome of a largely peaceful election are from the PDP, the same party that has accused the CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) of being behind the post-election riots witnessed in the north after the Presidential elections of April 2011.
“Had the ACN not restrained its supporters, they could have confronted these barbarians, thus triggering off a clash that could have led to a breakdown of law and order similar to what the PDP had accused the CPC of masterminding earlier.
“The ACN had, before, contested and lost elections in states under the control of the PDP, but not once did our supporters resort to self help.
“The law is clear that whoever feels aggrieved at the outcome of an election should seek restitution in court, just as our party has done times without number, because we believe in the rule of law.
“We believe the act of lawlessness embarked upon by some PDP supporters in Lagos is because the police have failed to carry out their duties. Had it not been so, the unruly PDP supporters would have been driven away from the Ikoyi/Obalende Council Secretariat, while the recalcitrant ones among them should by now be cooling their heels at the police station.â€