Lagos LG Election: Labour Party Vows to Drag LASIEC to Court
The Lagos State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has issued a scathing condemnation of the July 12 local government elections, vowing to drag the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to court over what it described as a brazen subversion of democracy.
Addressing journalists at the party’s secretariat on Friday, the LP Chairperson in the state, Pastor Dayo Ekong, said the entire electoral process was riddled with “systematic rigging, suppression, and deliberate sabotage.” She declared the party’s readiness to legally challenge both the process and the outcome, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) sweep all 57 chairmanship and 375 out of 376 councillorship seats.
“These elections were not a contest of ideas but a disgraceful descent into authoritarianism,” Ekong thundered. “It was a carefully orchestrated assault on democracy — a sham process that robbed the people of their right to choose.”
Citing rampant voter intimidation, ballot box stuffing, fake accreditation processes, missing LP logos on ballot papers, and the absence of officials and materials in multiple polling units, Ekong said the reported irregularities were not mere glitches but deliberate acts aimed at undermining the will of the electorate.
She further stated that the party’s legal team is compiling substantial evidence to mount a robust case in court, emphasizing that “justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done.”
“We owe this fight to every Nigerian who showed up hoping their votes would count, only to be betrayed by a corrupt system,” she said.
Ekong also called for the immediate abolition of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), accusing them of acting as stooges of ruling state governments. She advocated transferring their responsibilities to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that doing so would restore credibility to grassroots elections.
“The SIECs have become nothing more than tools for political manipulation. They serve governors, not the people. The National Assembly must act now to rescue local democracy from these hijackers,” she asserted.
The LP chairperson lamented the extremely low voter turnout, attributing it to the public’s loss of faith in electoral integrity. “When people believe their votes are meaningless, they retreat. That’s the real danger to democracy — apathy bred by injustice,” she warned.
Rejecting claims of factional leadership within the party, Ekong dismissed those parading themselves as alternate leaders of Lagos LP as “political jobbers and impostors,” warning them to steer clear.
“Lagos Labour Party is not for sale. We are neither intimidated nor compromised. Under my leadership, we remain steadfast in reclaiming the mandate freely given to us,” she said.
She concluded by affirming that the party’s legal pursuit is not just about power, but about justice, truth, and defending Nigeria’s democratic soul.
“We will not fold our arms while democracy is slaughtered in broad daylight,” she declared. “We are going to court because this country deserves better — and we won’t stop until justice is served.”
