Ogun LG Elections: Opposition Parties Cry Foul As OGSIEC Declares APC Winner of All Chairmanship, Councillorship Seats
As the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) declared candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC winners of all contested Chairmanship and Councillorship seats in the local government elections, many opposition parties have cried foul, faulting the election results, fingering widespread delayed distribution of materials, disenfranchisement of voters in many polling units among other allegations against the state electoral umpire and the process in entirety.
By:,Olufemi Orunsola
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has been declared winner of Independent Electoral of all Chairman and Councillorship seats across all 20 Local Government Areas and 236 wards in the state by the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), while some opposition parties reject the results.
The Chairman, Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) Mr. Babatunde Osibodu, made thhis announcement today at the Commission’s headquarters in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, during the presentation of the official results of the polls in a live broadcast.
According to the Chairman of the State Electoral umpire, a total of 613,156 votes were cast in the Chairmanship elections across the 20 local government areas of the state.
The elections saw participation from 19 political parties, including Accord Party (AP), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied People’s Movement (APM), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Action People’s Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Boot Party (BP), People’s Redemption Party (PRP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Meanwhile, OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that some opposition parties in the state have rejected the election results, fingering widespread delayed delivery of election materials, outright disenfranchisement of electorates in many polling booths and faulting the election as a shambolic grassroot election process.
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the Labour Party (LP) have both accused the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) of bias and gross mismanagement, raising concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.
The NNPP’s Ogun Central Senatorial Chairman, Hon. Semiu Akingbala, highlighted the absence of OGSIEC officials in Ososun Ward 8, Ifo Local Government Area, a ward comprising 49 polling units. Across the state, voters reported hours-long waits, with many leaving before officials arrived.
The NNPP’s Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Comrade Omokehinde Olowu, described the situation as suspicious. “Most of the OGSIEC officials arrived around 2 PM, long after most voters had left,” Olowu said. “They brought only 50 ballot papers for Councillors and 50 for Chairmen. Where are the missing ballot papers? This reeks of premeditated malpractice.”
The Labour Party (LP) has also rejected the conduct of the elections, describing them as a “charade.” At an emergency press conference in Abeokuta, LP State Chairman Luqmon Jagun accused OGSIEC of deliberately disenfranchising voters. “Materials arrived late, voter registers were not displayed, and there was no proper accreditation of voters. In several areas, our supporters were beaten and chased away from polling units,” Jagun alleged.
Similarly, The Chairmanship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), for Abeokuta South Local Government area, Olalekan Alex Shoyinka has described the just concluded Local Government election in Ogun state as blatant assault on democracy.
Shoyinka in a post on his social media handles stated that what transpired in the November 16th LG polls can well be ascribed as a day light robbery on the democratic tenets.
“Today’s local government elections in Ogun State have not just been marred by irregularities—they represent a blatant assault on democracy.
Earlier, the Ogun State Government, Prince Dapo Abiodun who commended OGSIEC, the electorate, the security forces, Ogun electorates and the media for the peaceful conduct of the local government elections in the state acknowledged that there were indeed, some hiccups and logistics challenges but rated the process as commendable in all.
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