- Alleges ruling party wants to use members as LASIEC officials
- You’re merely seeking relevance, APC replies
Opposition Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday accused the ruling All Progressives Congress in Lagos State of perfecting a plot to rig the forthcoming local government election in the state.
The PDP alleged that the APC plans to infiltrate the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission charged with the conduct of the poll, with its members, who would serve as presiding officers during the election scheduled for July 22.
PDP Chairman in Lagos State, Moshood Salvador, in an exclusive chat with our correspondent, said a statement credited to the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that the PDP stood no chance in the coming LG polls in the state was a reflection of “a perfected act to rig the election.”
Salvador cited certain provisions in the state’s electoral law, which give presiding officers at the poll the discretionary powers to manipulate results of the election.
He said, “As a matter of fact, the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, has legalised rigging, malpractices and other forms of electoral fraud.
“Go and investigate. You will discover that the presiding officers in the coming local government election are card-carrying members of the APC.
“Again, Section 41 of the state’s electoral law says if anyone misconducts himself at the polling unit, the presiding officer should hand him over to the police, but that if there is no police personnel, the person should be handed over to anyone around, and that ‘anyone’ is the APC political thugs called ‘area boys.’”
Salvador further cited portions in Sections 51 and 53 of the electoral law, which mandate that election results should be handed over to the presiding officer and that the officer is not duty-bound to recount doubtful results, upon request.
The PDP chairman also condemned the conduct of Wednesday’s APC primaries for the LG polls in the state, describing it as an “imposition carnival”, saying, “many aspirants who had been disqualified have been pestering me that they want to join the PDP.”
But in a swift reaction, a chieftain of the APC, Hon. Dipo Okeyomi, said Salvador had merely concocted lies “to give relevance to his dying party, the PDP.
“The register containing the names of all APC members in Lagos is open for public scrutiny and anyone can bring the name of a presiding officer to check if it would ever be found in our membership register.”
Okeyomi, who is the APC chairmanship candidate for Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, also debunked the PDP chairman’s claim that all the APC candidates were imposed.
“We emerged on merit and on the popular demand of our members. For instance, I have been doing charity work under my NGO, the Change Agent, under which I distribute amounts running to N10m to the less-privileged on monthly basis.
“So, do I need to be imposed to emerge as a candidate among my people?” He asked.
