The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the recently concluded local government elections, describing the exercise as a sham and a threat to democracy.
The election, conducted on Saturday by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) win all 57 chairmanship seats and 375 out of 376 councillorship positions.
Speaking to journalists at the PDP secretariat in Alagomeji, Lagos, on Monday, Chairman of the Forum of PDP LGA Chairmen, Adegboyega Adegbesan, alleged that the election was riddled with irregularities, widespread voter intimidation, and manipulation of results.
He claimed the APC had no intention of participating in a transparent electoral process, and accused them of ballot box stuffing in PDP strongholds, with pre-thumbprinted ballots brought into polling units while electoral officers looked on without intervention.
Adegbesan further stated that PDP agents were harassed and driven away from polling stations and denied access to collation centres, enabling results to be manipulated even before the voting process was completed.
He alleged that in some wards, the total number of votes exceeded the number of registered voters and that election materials were delayed or never arrived in many PDP-dominated areas.
Calling the exercise a direct attack on the democratic process, Adegbesan emphasised that the party would not accept the results and vowed to seek legal redress.
He noted that the PDP had gathered extensive evidence including video recordings, eyewitness accounts, and documentation of electoral discrepancies to support its case at the tribunal.
He urged Nigerians not to see the issue as a PDP concern alone but as a broader matter of justice and electoral integrity.
Adegbesan commended voters who turned out to cast their ballots despite the difficult conditions, saying their courage deserves recognition.
The PDP also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate LASIEC’s handling of the election and appealed to civil society organisations, democracy advocates, and the international community to speak out against what it termed “electoral tyranny.”
It further urged the Nigerian judiciary to uphold the law and deliver justice without political bias.
In a final appeal, the PDP warned that silence in the face of electoral fraud only emboldens those undermining the nation’s democracy.
The party reiterated its resolve to challenge the results and restore electoral integrity in Lagos State.
As of the time of reporting, LASIEC had not issued any response to the PDP’s allegations.
