Local government elections in Lagos State have ended with the All Progressives Congress claiming victory in all but one chairmanship and councillorship seat, prompting a wave of protests from opposition parties.
Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), head of LASIEC, declared the APC winners in all 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs, with the exception of Ward D in Yaba LCDA, where PDP’s Babatunde Dosunmu emerged victorious following his recent defection from the APC.
Tai Benedict, PDP’s state deputy chairman, expressed skepticism over the large number of votes attributed to the APC, especially in light of low voter turnout. “I’m not disappointed in the results… I know that with the very aggressive campaign (of the APC), we all know what it means,” he said, suggesting the results were unrealistic given the level of public engagement.
Labour Party’s Sam Okpala declared the process illegitimate, citing absence of electoral officials and widespread irregularities: “What we witnessed in Lagos yesterday (Saturday) was a sham, a rape of democracy, a waste of billions of naira of taxpayers’ money.”
The African Action Congress joined the chorus of dissent, with chairman Ayoyinka Oni demanding a complete annulment of the polls, describing the exercise as fundamentally compromised.
Meanwhile, the APC’s Seye Oladejo attributed the party’s success to the “unflinching, overwhelming support and trust” of the electorate, emphasizing the party’s commitment to grassroots development.