The Labour Party has strongly condemned the conduct of the Lagos State local government elections held on Saturday, July 12, describing the process as a “dangerous blueprint for electoral fraud” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a press release issued by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, the party decried the outcome of the polls, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) claim all 57 chairmanship seats and 375 of 376 councillorship positions.
“The farce that played out in Lagos State… under the guise of local government elections has once again exposed the APC as a party allergic to democratic principles and due process,” the statement read. The Labour Party further accused the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) of colluding with APC operatives to rig the polls, citing widespread reports of ballot box stuffing, pre-thumbprinted ballot papers, and pre-filled result sheets allegedly brought in by LASIEC officials before voting began.
“This brazen self-allocation of electoral victories is not only shameless, it is unprecedented in Nigeria’s democratic history,” Asogwa stated. “Never in our democratic journey has such impunity been so openly executed.”
Despite what it called “a monumental provocation,” the Labour Party called on its supporters across Lagos to remain calm and law-abiding. However, it also issued a firm demand: the immediate cancellation of the election results and the organization of a new, transparent electoral process.
The statement warned that the events in Lagos could signal what to expect in the 2027 general elections if not addressed. “What happens in Lagos has ripple effects across the federation. Every true democrat in Nigeria should be alarmed.”
The party concluded with a vow not to remain silent in the face of what it described as a grave assault on democracy.