Lagos PDP Rejects LG Election Results, Heads to Tribunal Over Alleged Electoral Fraud
Lagos PDP rejects LG poll results, calls it a sham and vows tribunal challenge over alleged fraud.
Party says APC, LASIEC rigged elections, warns silence could normalize injustice and erode democracy.
The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the recently concluded local government elections in the state, describing the exercise as a “travesty of democracy” and vowing to challenge it at the tribunal.
The elections, which took place on Saturday, saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) secure all 57 chairmanship positions and 375 out of 376 councillorship seats, according to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
Addressing the media at the party’s Alagomeji secretariat on Monday, Adegboyega Adegbesan, Chairman of the Forum of Lagos PDP LGA Chairmen, accused the APC and LASIEC of orchestrating widespread irregularities to subvert the will of the electorate.
He alleged that in PDP strongholds across the state, election materials were either deliberately delayed, incomplete, or failed to arrive, while violence and manipulation marred the process.
“In many areas known to support the PDP, ballot boxes were stuffed with already thumbprinted ballots. In some wards, the total votes recorded far exceeded the number of registered voters. This was not an election; it was a crude assault on democracy,” Adegbesan said.
The PDP further claimed that its agents were harassed, barred from collation centers, and, in some cases, physically assaulted. The party stated that it had documented several cases where result sheets were altered before the conclusion of voting.
Adegbesan stressed that the elections were characterized by systematic efforts to suppress PDP supporters, discourage turnout, and manipulate outcomes. He insisted that the scale of electoral misconduct demands legal redress.
“We have compiled comprehensive evidence, including eyewitness accounts, video footage, and official records of irregularities,” the PDP stated, promising to seek redress through lawful and civilized channels.
“The PDP does not and will not recognize the so-called winners of this fraudulent election,” he added.
The party also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to open an investigation into LASIEC conduct and urged civil society organizations, democracy watchdogs, and international observers to scrutinize what it described as the institutionalization of electoral malpractice.
Calling the situation “a threat to Nigeria’s democracy,” Adegbesan urged the judiciary to act with integrity and resist political pressure in adjudicating the case.
He also issued a call to action to Nigerian youths, warning that silence in the face of such injustice could embolden those who aim to erode democratic values.
“This is not just a PDP struggle; it is a struggle for justice, equity, and the future of our democracy. If this is allowed to stand, rigging becomes culture, and the voice of the people is silenced,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the APC has maintained that the election results reflect the valid will of Lagos residents. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, in a statement issued Sunday, thanked voters for their support and described the outcome as a demonstration of Lagosians’ continued faith in the APC.
