The Labour Party in Lagos has accused both the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, and the Independent National Electoral Commission of acting in bad faith and compromising the electoral process ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.
Speaking on behalf of the Labour Party faction loyal to the Caretaker Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, Hon. Nifemi Adeyemi, who is contesting for the position of Chairman of Ikorodu West Local Government under the Labour Party, made damning allegations about the integrity of the electoral institutions.
He said: “This is to notify the general public that LASIEC Lagos is no longer an independent body. LASIEC Lagos is a corrupt entity. INEC is a corrupt entity. INEC is no longer an independent body,” Adeyemi declared during a press briefing at the LASIEC office in Lagos.
According to Adeyemi, despite the current leadership of the party in the person of Usman, LASIEC shockingly issued nomination forms to a rival faction that had already been sacked by the apex court.
“To our greatest surprise, yesterday LASIEC gave a nomination form to a different faction. A faction that was sacked from the Labour Party by the Supreme Court… Nigeria has become a lawless country,” he said.
Adeyemi further claimed that while LASIEC Chairman Mrs. Bola Okikiolu allegedly told their delegation she acted on instructions from Abuja, officials at INEC headquarters denied issuing such directives.
“Our lawyer is in Abuja. They are telling our lawyer that they didn’t give any directive,” he lamented.
Also, Comrade Titi Oworu, the Lagos State Labour Party Women Leader under the caretaker committee led by Rotimi Odunaike, said their faction came to collect nomination forms as a matter of fairness and legality.
“There’s a letter saying that we have four factions, and they [INEC] are not going to deal with any faction until there’s an acknowledgement on the 9th of June. So everybody is meant to wait until then,” Oworu stated.
“They are giving A. So they should give the rest. Give the four of us,” she demanded, emphasizing that all factions had paid and should be treated equally.
Her frustration was evident as she recounted waiting at the LASIEC office since 9 a.m. without seeing any official document justifying the selective issuance of nomination forms.
“They are not giving us answers… We are coming back on Monday with all our members, all the candidates, all the escorts,” she vowed.
The Assistant General Secretary of the Lagos State Caretaker Committee, Comrade Onafowokan Gbenga, added to the storm of accusations, noting that the actions of LASIEC could render the entire electoral process null and void.
“There is a Supreme Court ruling over this case… if they take this matter down to court after the election process, they will nullify all the candidates that come out of that account. That means they are actually working for APC,” he alleged.
He argued that if INEC or LASIEC had interpreted the Supreme Court’s ruling, they must present a written statement to that effect, insisting: “If they don’t give us a letter to that effect, they should give us our own forms too. Because we are ready to pay.”
The party members called for transparency and accountability in the process, warning against what they called a “deliberate plan to disenfranchise the Labour Party” in Lagos State.
“This is a game to disenfranchise the Labour Party in Lagos State. But we will not allow that. It will not hold. Because Nigeria will not become a one-party state,” Mr. Adeyemi concluded.
Also, a statement earlier released by the Lagos State caretaker committee stated that a letter signed by Bola Ikgile which was addressed to Rotimi Odunaike, stated that no faction of the Labour Party will be given nomination forms until there is a clear clarification from INEC but based on a twist of events the caretaker committee stated that LASIEC had now given the forms to another faction.
The statement read: “LASIEC had by its earlier letter signed by Bola Ikgile and addressed to Rotimi Odunaike, the Lagos State caretaker committee of Lagos State stated that no faction of the Labour Party will be given nomination forms until there is a clear clarification from INEC but in a twist of events and without any clarification from INEC, LASIEC had now given the forms to another faction in clear disobedience to the Supreme Court judgement.
“It is sad that LASIEC headed by a retired judge will engage in such illegal and barbaric actions because of political expediency as there have been rumors of money exchanging hands between LASIEC and the other faction.
“All our demands for LASIEC to produce INEC letter which authorized them to issue nomination forms to the other faction were rebuffed and we strongly believe there’s no such letter and that’s why LASIEC has refused to produce it.
“This is to call the attention of all Lagosians that LASIEC has been compromised and they should expect any free and fair local government elections.”
As the June 9 INEC deadline looms for resolving the internal crisis within the Labour Party, pressure is mounting on both LASIEC and INEC to clarify their actions and ensure the integrity of the upcoming local elections in Lagos.
The Lagos State Government and relevant national electoral bodies have yet to officially respond to the allegations.
