The flagrant abuse of the electoral process by officials of LASIEC at the just concluded Council Election should not have surprised anyone. Lagosians have become accustomed to the All Progressives Congress addiction to rigging Elections. The leadership of the Party affirmed support for Saturday's corrosive Election when Governor Sanwoolu shamelessly praised the outcome of the Election as the Advent of a ' New Dawn' in Lagos Politics.
Our main purpose here therefore is to set the records straight, so that perhaps the political bandits responsible for the bastardization of our body polity will one day be brought to Justice.
That Election of 24th July, 2021 in Lagos was flawed at every step and disgraceful in every way !
1. INCOMPETENT UMPIRE.
Retired judge Ayo Phillips was a biased umpire. She is recently retired from the service of the APC administration from which she enjoyed larges such as housing, motorcars and travel facilities.
If Justice Phillips is not a card carrying member of APC, she is at least a sympathizer ,and a senior member of the inner circle of the party's cabal.
Justice Phillips' mandate was not to conduct a fair and open Election, but to deliver total victory for APC. The judge did not disappoint. She gave her LASIEC officials a free hand to manipulate the Election, as long as they brought in success for APC candidates.
2. NONE COMPLIANCE.
There was no effort to protect the health of voters by enforcing COVID 19 protocols.
In most polling units the scanning machines malfunctioned, and we're there only for show.
Where voting materials arrived late, provision was not made to accommodate voters.
APC banners and insignia were allowed to be openly displayed in the vicinity of voting stations.
Illegal voting locations such as Obas Palaces were allowed to operate.
3.MULTIPLE VOTING / COMPROMISED BALLOTS.
The absence of functional scanning machines in many polling units gave room for manual voting which made it possible for corrupt LASIEC officials to organize multiple thumb printing. (You may have seen some video evidence of thumb printers in action)
APC branded vehicles transported Election personnel who used their privileged access to smuggle stuffed ballot boxes into collating centers.
Voting materials meant for one polling center ended up in another, miles away. Many voters left their designated voting stations frustrated , unable to vote.
ln conclusion , it can be said unequivocally that the overwhelming victory of APC in the Election was as a result of these multiple violations. Every known and unknown electoral shinanigan was deployed to ensure total victory. It was APC'S overwhelming rigging that accounts for its overwhelming victory, not it's popularity.
True, the PDP was encumbered by its own internal problems, but the role of APC's blatant election fraud cannot be overemphasized in the final evaluation of the results.
It is now incumbent on the People's Democratic party; the main opposition party in the State to step up its own act. PDP must enhance itself politically, structurally, and financially in order to present the people of Lagos with an alternative to APC'S debased and disfunctional administration.
Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, Public Affairs Analyst, PDP Stakeholder.
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