Lagos Council Polls: Big Suspense Over Delayed Results

Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, Justice Abudul Fatai Adeyinka addressing newsmen over last Saturday’s LG election in Lagos.

Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, Justice Abudul Fatai Adeyinka addressing newsmen in Lagos

There was a big suspense in some parts of Lagos State today as opposition candidates awaited the final word from the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission over the results of the council polls held weekend.

•Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, Justice Abudul Fatai Adeyinka addressing newsmen over last Saturday’s LG election in Lagos.

LASIEC will release the result later this afternoon.

But in several councils, there were claims and counter claims by candidates about who actually won.

And in several areas, there were some street demonstrations.

There were protests this afternoon by some members of the Congress for Progressive Change in Agege, who claimed their candidates won the election. The protesters, with placards, insisted that the correct results should be released.

In Ikoyi-Obalende, PDP supporters continued their siege on the council headquarters in Ikoyi.

Protests were also reported in Badagry central LCDA.

The opposition members meanwhile have flayed the “ delay”. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for instance is claiming victory in Ikoyi-Obalende and Badagry LCDAs, a claim that the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has dismissed.

The ACN accused the PDP of holding hostage eight Supervisory Polling Officers (SPO) of the Lagos State independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) at the Ikoyi Obalende Council secretariat, as they were barred from leaving the premises of the council. As at this afternoon, the gates of the secretariat were still locked, with workers trapped inside and locked out.

There were allegations that the occupation of the secretariat was done by supporters of Babajide Obanikoro, son of Nigeria’s ambassador to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

P.M.NEWS learnt that the SPOs were prevented from leaving the secretariat when Obanikoro and some members of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) stormed the Local Government Secretariat to protest the announcement of the incumbent Chairman Hon. Adewale Rasaq Adeniji as the winner of the election as against his (Obanikoro’s) son ,Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro ,the PDP flag bearer at the polls.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS yesterday, at the premises of the LCDA, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro denied the hostage claim saying that his mission at the secretariat was to protest an alleged annulment of his son’s electoral result by the Action Congress of Nigeria.

Obanikoro claimed that the LASIEC officer ran away without counting the votes. ‘’You can see me, I have been here since yesterday and I am still waiting for the electoral results. I know my son won because we are on the ground and we have structures that can make us win in the LCDA.’’

Reacting to the siege, the incumbent chairman Adewale Rasaq Adeniji said that from every indication and from what he had gathered from his polling agents, he was sure that he had won the election. “If Koro is not satisfied with what is on the ground, it is better for him to go to court rather than constituting himself into a nuisance.”

Reacting to the incident at the LCDA Secretariat, Comrade Declan Ihekaire, the National Co-ordinator concerned Human Rights Nigeria said that it came to him as a rude shock that the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro could invade an LCDA over an unannounced result because he suspected that his son might lose. “My advice to him is to go back to Ghana and see to the welfare of Nigerians instead of fomenting trouble over an electoral result.”

P.M. NEWS learnt that members of the PDP in Badagry Central LCDA took to the streets this morning to protest the result declared in favour of Moses Dosu Husitode of ACN as against PDP’s Mustapha Dada.

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Investigations revealed that what could have led to a breakdown of law and order was brought under control by the law enforcement agents deployed to the LCDA.

In Eredo LCDA, PDP agents led by a former ACN Chieftain in the area, was said to have led some suspected thugs to the secretariat to prevent the LASIEC officials from announcing the result which they feared was in favour of the Chairman, Sabiu Laja Adelaja. This resulted in pandemonium at the LCDA Secretariat during which properties worth thousands of naira were destroyed.

PDP members in Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA have vowed not to leave the premises of the council until the results of the polls are announced by the state electoral body, LASIEC.

Some of them who spoke with P.M.NEWS said the failure of LASIEC to announce the results which they believed was won by PDP candidates at chairmanship and councillorship levels is a ploy by the electoral body to favour ACN.

PDP secretary in Lagos State, Chief Olatunji Shelle said if LASIEC fails to release the result of Saturday’s election by noon today, the election should be cancelled and another one rescheduled which his party was ready to contest.

Shelle said, “as the election took place on Saturday, every right thinking person will expect that the results are announced the same day. But up till this moment, the results are yet to be announced.

“The same is applicable to other council areas where PDP won. We just want to ensure that justice is done. But if LASIEC refuses to announce the results by 12 noon, it means that the election should be cancelled. We are ready for another election.”

According to Alhaji Isiaka Agbaje-Cole, vice chairman PDP in Ikoyi/Obalende, LASIEC deserves commendation on the conduct of the election but he opined that the results should have been announced immediately the elections were concluded.

He said the reason for the peaceful protest was the failure of LASIEC to release the results of the election.

Agbaje-Cole claimed that from the results PDP gathered from the polling units, his party won all the councillorships and the chairmanship seat in Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA. He wondered why LASIEC refused to announce the results.

The PDP chieftain alleged that some ACN members were arrested on Saturday for electoral malpractices.

As at press time, policemen have barricaded the gate of the Ikoyi-Obalende secretariat. There was no movement of persons including the staff.

A police armoured personnel carrier was also stationed at the gate.

Similarly, men of the Lagos State Fire and Safety Services kept vigilance at the council’s secretariat gate in case of a fire outbreak.

Other security agents were also on hand to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

—Ayodele Lawal, Kazeem Ugbodaga, Yisa Jamiu & Paul Iyoghojie

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