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Bola Badmus
The leadership of the Lagos State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has called for the total cancellation of the governorship election which was held last Saturday in the state, in which the incumbent, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, emerged winner, insisting that no election took place in Lagos as the exercise, according to it, did not reflect the true wish of Lagosians.
Chairman of the party, Mrs Dayo Ekong; the LP Deputy Governorship Candidate in the state, Princess Abiodun Oyefusi, among others made this call on Tuesday at a press conference, which took place at the party secretariat in GRA, Ikeja, describing the last Saturday poll as worse than the February 25, 2023, Presidential/National Assembly exercise.
Ekong said the last election in Lagos State witnessed a series of killings, attacks on members and supporters of the Labour Party, and snatching of ballot boxes, among others, disclosing that she had just left hospital wards where she met some of them receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, a minute silence was observed in honour of those that died during the Saturday election in the state.
The party chieftain, while insisting on cancellation of the last poll exercise and holding a fresh one, said the party was resolved to seek redress in the court of law, with credible evidence to prove its case.
“Last Saturday’s election did not reflect the true wish of the people of Lagos State. It is not the people’s wish, whatever it takes, we are going to seek justice in a court of law. I want to believe the judiciary will do the right thing. If they fail, we will take the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“We have evidence to show the whole world, we have the video recordings of the dastardly acts of what took place during the last election. At the right time, we will make them available. There was no election in Lagos State last Saturday, it was not fair and credible,” she said.
Ekong said she was saddened by what took place last Saturday in Lagos State, lamenting that the country leaders, who were supposed to speak out and condemn the act, had failed the youth.
This was just as the party chieftain noted that the police and security agencies did their best to ensure a peaceful poll exercise, but said they were overwhelmed by the political thugs and hoodlums who were on a mission to disrupt the election and ensure the results favoured their paymasters.
She said consequent to this development, elections did not hold in some areas in the state, noting that people did not come out to vote to protect dear lives, adding: “Nobody deserved to die.”
Ekong, while insisting on the cancellation of the result of the last poll exercise, urged Nigerians not to give up on ensuring that the right thing was done in the country.
“In Lagos, we reject the result they announced and demand total cancellation. Nigerians don’t give up, bearing in mind that the right path is to seek justice,” she said.
The LP Deputy Governorship Candidate, Princess Oyefusi, also corroborated the party chairman, saying that the election did not take place in most of the places in Lagos State, calling for the cancellation of the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Oyefusi, while justifying the call, said in her polling booth, over 500 registered voters were on the INEC list but disclosed that less than 10 came out to vote in last Saturday’s poll exercise.
“I am surprised INEC announced the result, how can they announce such a result?” she queried.
Also speaking, the party secretary, Sam Okpala, said the LP demanded an explanation from INEC on the huge amount of money it received to ensure that results were uploaded right away to the server which was never complied with, describing the Saturday poll as the worse ever in the annals of the country.
According to him, Nigerian youths were expectant of a credible and fair election but were disappointed to witness a worse exercise, saying that the exercise recorded killings, attacks, arrests and detention of party members, snatching of ballot boxes and burning of ballot papers, among others.
“We are demanding total cancellation. There was no election. Whatever mandate they were handing over to anybody was being done on people’s blood. No election was held,” he said.
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