Opposition parties in Lagos State have strongly contested the outcome of Saturday’s local government elections, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured a sweeping victory.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), led by its Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), on Sunday announced that the APC clinched all 57 chairmanship seats and 375 out of 376 councillorship positions across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.
In a rare upset, however, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won Ward D of the Yaba LCDA, where its candidate, Babatunde Dosunmu — a former APC member who recently defected — defeated the ruling party’s candidate.
Reacting to the results, Lagos PDP Deputy Chairman, Tai Benedict, said he was not surprised by the outcome but criticized the credibility of the election. He questioned the validity of the figures declared, citing widespread voter apathy.
“At many polling units, people were seen playing football instead of voting. Yet, look at the figures they are bringing out,” Benedict said. “Is it realistic to record such numbers in this climate of political fatigue? The entire process is flawed.”
Benedict also took a swipe at the Labour Party (LP), which had earlier claimed greater popularity than the PDP. “At least now people will know the difference,” he stated.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Lagos State Secretary of the Labour Party, Sam Okpala, dismissed the exercise entirely.
“There was no election. What happened was a sham — a rape of democracy and a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money,” Okpala said, alleging that in several polling units, LASIEC officials were absent, and irregularities marred the few places where voting occurred.
The African Action Congress (AAC), in a statement signed by its Chairman, Ayoyinka Oni, demanded the outright cancellation of the election. “This is worse than a coup,” Oni said. “We predicted this outcome because the process was already flawed from the onset.”
Despite the backlash, the APC has maintained that the elections were fair and reflective of public support.
In a statement, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, hailed the results as a “resounding win” and credited the outcome to the party’s connection with the people.
“This overwhelming victory affirms the people’s trust in the APC’s leadership and our commitment to grassroots development,” Oladejo said. “We appreciate the unwavering support of the electorate and the tireless efforts of our candidates and supporters.”
The controversy surrounding the conduct and outcome of the Lagos LG elections is expected to intensify calls for electoral reforms and greater independence for state electoral commissions across the country.
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