21st December, 2012
The Lagos State chapter of Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the frequent stakeholders fora organised by Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, as diversionary, a waste of money and an insult on the electorate.
The publicity secretary of the party, Taofeek Gani, said LASIEC as presently constituted is shamelessly partisan and busies itself with organising stakeholders fora rather than sincerely admit its partisanship and failure.
The party’s reaction is coming on the heels of the last stakeholders forum organised by LASIEC, where it stated that Lagosians did not come out to participate in the 22 October, 2011 Local Government election in the state.
“This LASIEC as presently constituted has failed Lagosians and like a leper, it can never be attractive in subsequent elections. Meanwhile, it is a blackmail on Lagos electorate to describe them as exhibiting voter apathy during elections.
“The truth remains that the electorate participated satisfactorily enough and voted against ACN, but the LASIEC acting out the script of the ACN, disenfranchised many voters of the opposition so as to favour ACN. The commission thus was careful to release high figures in favour of ACN,” said Gani.
He added that the present LASIEC must be dissolved to restore confidence in the system.
“The present LASIEC must be dissolved to give us confidence. It is only organising frequent fora to justify the misappropriation of the N36billion it got to conduct its affairs.
“The commission should desist from wasting tax payers’ money in the name of stakeholders forum which will lead to nowhere.
“All the suggestions at fora before the 2011 election were never implemented. Example was the objection to accreditation and voting at the same time,” he averred.