From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Labour Party in Ogun has called on the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to cancel the entire local government election across the state, citing clear violations of the electoral guidelines of the Ogun State Electoral Law.
The State Chairman of the LP, Lookman Jagun, made the call on Saturday while addressing a press conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The party chairman added that there were no election materials at some polling units as of 1:30 pm, and that the few polling units where election materials were delivered had incomplete sets.
Jagun explained further that the call for cancellation of the LG poll had become imperative, as there was no election whatsoever in virtually all the polling units in the state. He pointed out that OGSIEC officials were nowhere to be seen in over 90 per cent of the polling units.
The party chairman added that there were no election materials, particularly election result sheets, at some polling units as of 1:30 pm, and that the few polling units where election materials were delivered had incomplete sets.
He also alleged that some members of the Labour Party were violently attacked by hoodlums suspected of working for the ruling party, thereby preventing them from exercising their franchise.
Describing the LG election as a “charade”, Jagun declared that his party would outrightly reject the election results and challenge the outcome in a court of law, if the OGSIEC failed to cancel the election.
“More worrisome is the fact that our teeming supporters, comprising youths, old men, and women, came out in their numbers to exercise their democratic rights.
“They waited endlessly for the arrival of OGSIEC officials and the election materials, which never came. In the few places where the materials were delivered, our supporters were chased away from the polling units and those who stood their ground were beaten.
“The Chairman of OGSIEC, Babatunde Osibodu, has failed to use the opportunity of the local government election to distinguish himself.
“What took place in Ogun State today (Saturday) falls short of the minimum standard required for the conduct of an election.
“The good people of Ogun State were deliberately disenfranchised and prevented from using their votes to express their dissatisfaction with the failure of governance in the state.
“We totally reject whatever results are declared in this sham of an election,” the Ogun Labour Party chairman stated.
The gubernatorial candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections, Kehinde Sogunle, expressed disappointment over the conduct of the election.
He said, “There was no voter apathy; people were just disenfranchised. This is systemic rigging. It is not good for our democracy.”
