By Hussein Olanrewaju
The United Action for Democracy (UAD), a prominent civil society coalition, has demanded the immediate suspension, arrest, and prosecution of officials from the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). This call comes in response to allegations of widespread electoral fraud during the party’s recent chairmanship primary elections across Lagos State.
These demands were made after a series of protests by APC stakeholders in the Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), who strongly opposed the alleged imposition of Bayo Adefuye as the party’s candidate. They described the election process as “undemocratic, provocative, and a clear affront to the will of the people.”
In a strongly worded petition and during a press conference held on May 14, UAD General Secretary Kunle Wizeman Ajayi accused LASIEC and the APC of conspiring to undermine the democratic process. He cited issues such as vote manipulation, imposition of candidates, and disenfranchisement of legitimate delegates from several local government areas, including Alimosho, Lagos Island, Mosan-Okunola, Agbado-Okeodo, Ayobo-Ipaja, Egbe-Idimu, Agege, and Orile-Agege.
Ajayi warned that if decisive action is not taken, the situation in Lagos could establish a “dangerous precedent” for future elections, particularly the 2027 general elections, and further erode public trust in democratic institutions.
“We demand the immediate suspension and arrest of the LASIEC Chairman for colluding in electoral fraud and abuse of public office. There must also be an independent investigation and prosecution of all LASIEC and APC officials involved,” he stated.
He continued, “We are also calling for visa bans and international sanctions against the LASIEC chairman and all officials involved, including the denial of entry into the United States (U.S.), the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU), and other democratic nations.”
In the Yaba LCDA, APC leadership from all nine wards signed a protest letter addressed to the chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), rejecting Adefuye’s alleged imposition. They warned that such actions could incite unrest and damage the party’s integrity and electoral success.
In Agege and other local government areas, protesters took to the streets, highlighting instances where pre-selected candidates were declared winners without proper voting or collation. Reports surfaced claiming that LASIEC officials manipulated ballot counts and expelled journalists, party agents, and observers from collation centres.
Most alarmingly, the UAD alleged that in Agbado-Okeodo LCDA, a candidate facing trial for murder and land-grabbing was imposed on the voters, raising concerns about the ethical standards guiding candidate selections.
“The struggle for local government autonomy, despite last year’s Supreme Court victory, has not translated into grassroots democracy. Instead, governors and political godfathers have weaponised LASIEC to impose puppets, stifling any semblance of people’s power,” Ajayi lamented.
When approached for a comment, LASIEC’s Public Relations Officer, Tope Ojo, declined to respond, stating only that the Commission’s Chairman could address the allegations. However, as of press time, the chairman’s contact information was not made available.
The UAD has pledged to continue mobilising citizens and democratic forces both within and outside Nigeria to resist what it characterised as the “hijacking of democracy from below.”
“We assert that local government autonomy and democracy have been a facade. For us, there is no hope for a better future for our democracy unless the people rise and resist,” Ajayi concluded.
