The leading opposition parties in Ogun State have stated in Abeokuta that last weekend’s local government council elections were a “monumental fraud never before witnessed in the state.”
The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, LP and New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP condemned the elections, describing it as a sham
State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Abayomi Tella while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta said, “We state boldly that never in the political history of Ogun State have the electorate witnessed this kind of monumental electoral fraud perpetrated on Saturday.”
Tella alleged that from the outset, the processes for conducting the polls were skewed to favor the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
Joined by the 2023 Governorship Candidate of the Party, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, the State legal Adviser, Muyiwa Obaniwa and the State Secretary, Sunday Adekunle Solarin, Tella decried the “charade” that the electoral umpire organised in the name of the local government election.
The party alleged that the ruling party, used the state independent electoral commission, deliberately hoarded and diverted election materials meant for the elections in the state to facilitate massive rigging.
His words, “It’s quite unfortunate that we’re now finding ourselves with this kind of leadership that we have in this state today, since the local government election has been conducted in this state, we have never had it so bad.
“I want to tell you that the report from all our polling units confirmed that over 4000 polling units, no voting materials. Some people said they conducted an election.
“The worst case scenario is that where you have them bringing election materials at the local government coalition center, they will declare 50 for the local government chairman, 50 for councillorship ballot papers, and when they get to the polling unit, it becomes 25 or 20. Where is the rest? Where we have such cases. And people insisted that if they don’t know where the rest are, they are not going to vote. It then translates to the fact that, in so many words, there are no votes. Yet winners have been declared.
“Where does that voting took place? One other thing that is very worse is that I don’t know why we have to evolve into violence. I put it to His Excellency that if I am governor for three years in this state, if I’m to conduct a local government election, I will have acceptability of people for over 80% so I won’t have any reason to start maiming people, beating people up because I want to force them to vote for me.
The party alleged that the ruling party, used the state independent electoral commission, deliberately hoarded election materials meant for the elections in the state to facilitate massive rigging.
The party condemned the conduct of the election and rejected all the results from the purported election, stating that, as far as they are concerned, there was no local government election in Ogun State
“We are all in this state together, and I’m very, very sure that you know all that happens, but it’s very, very important that we tell the public what has happened. I saw a video less than two hours ago, where some people are jubilating, singing that they have won the election. Which election Exactly? Let the public know there was no election in Ogun state.
“Again, when we were meeting with the OGSIEC, they promised us a free and fair election. You have seen that in my local government, quite a number of things happened. In fact, the worst case scenario is from Ogun East, even where election was declared, a winner was declared for PDP there, they still come up and announce another person there.
“You see, where you have incompetent people at the helms of affairs, where maladministration is the order of the day, then people don’t accept you. But our leaders have forgotten that when you force people to accept you, you are only doing yourself.
“The people of Ogun state came out on Saturday to change the narrative, they wanted our local government to be effective, you will agree with me that the last time we had a local government administration running this state was 2011 during the PDP administration.
“Luckily enough, I was part of that team, and I confirmed to you, with all the emphasis that the legacies of PDP still remain till date. Even up till now, Nothing has been done since 2011 what we have in Ogun state is that local government administration is in comatose.
Also speaking, Hon Ladi Adebutu said with the conduct of last Saturday’s elections, it is a mockery of democracy.
“We are now making a mockery of democracy in this state, but we urge all our members to remain calm and peaceful, as the party shall seriously review the outcome of the election.
“It is high time we put an end to attempts to deprive the citizens of their legitimate rights to elect who leads them at the local government level.”
Labour Party Calls For Cancellation of The Election
Addressing Newsmen in Abeokuta, Engr Lookman Jagun, Chairman, Labour Party Ogun State said it had earlier raised alarm of the plan by APC to rig the elections.
“You will recall that during the Press Conference flagging off our campaign for the Local Government Election on Thursday 31st October, 2024, I drew the attention of the whole world to the sinister and undemocratic plans of the ruling APC government to rig the local government election in conjunction with the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission.
“I also called on the Chairman of OGSIEC to seize the opportunity of the election to write his name in gold, by conducting a free, fair and credible election.
“Sadly, the Chairman of OGSIEC Babatunde Osibodu has failed to use the opportunity of the local government election to distinguish himself. What took place in Ogun state today falls short of the minimum standard required for the conduct of an election. There was no election whatsoever in the whole of Ogun state. The good people of Ogun state were deliberately disenfranchised and prevented from using their votes to express their dissatisfaction with the failure of governance in the state.
“There was no election whatsoever in virtually all the Polling Units in Ogun state. OGSIEC officials were no where to be seen in over ninety percent of the Polling Units and there were no election materials at the Polling Units as at 1.30pm. In the few Polling Units where election materials were delivered, the materials were incomplete and were delivered around 1pm, as against 8am when the election was supposed to start.
“More worrisome is the fact that our teeming supporters, made up of youths, old men and women, came out in their numbers to exercise their democratic rights. They waited endlessly for the arrival of OGSIEC officials and the election materials, which never came. In the few places where the materials were delivered, our supporters were chased away from the Polling Units and those who stood their grounds were beaten and brutalised.
“You will recall that the state governor Prince Dapo Abiodun had earlier boasted that the opposition were invincible and that APC was going to sweep the polls. Their plan is to rig the election in the most crude and barbaric manner, and they have just demonstrated it with today’s charade. Ogun state is the gateway state and we expect better from OGSIEC.
“We totally reject whatever results that are declared in this sham of an election. Even the good people of Ogun state have been expressing their opinions on radio and television that there was no election in Ogun state.
“We call on OGSIEC to cancel the entire election for being in clear violation of the electoral guidelines of Ogun state electoral law. If they fail to do this, we will reject any results that is announced and put the necessary machinery in motion to challenge this charade in Court.
NNPP Southwest Chieftain Ajadi Slams Ogun LG Polls, Calls for Judicial Review
The local government elections conducted in Ogun State on November 16, 2024, have been marred by allegations of malpractice, delays, and voter disenfranchisement, according to Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, the Southwest Chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Ambassador Ajadi, an advocate for political stability and good governance, described the election as a sham, emphasizing that results announced by the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) could not reflect the will of the people. Speaking to journalists in Abeokuta, he accused OGSIEC of bias and collusion with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Any numbers declared in Ogun State were fabricated,” Ajadi alleged. “No votes were counted at many polling units, and the exercise was riddled with irregularities. If OGSIEC announces any results, it is a fraudulent act that must be challenged in court.”
Voting Disruptions and Missing Officials
Ajadi recounted his personal experience at polling unit 027 in Adebimpe, where he waited until 4:15 PM without the arrival of OGSIEC officials. Similarly, his wife, Mrs. Oyindamola Ajadi, was unable to vote at polling unit 090 at Mr. Biggs in Ibafo due to the absence of electoral officers.
“The lack of organization was glaring,” Ajadi said. “How can we talk about credible elections when basic logistics were ignored? This is an affront to democracy and a betrayal of the people’s trust.”
Reports from NNPP Polling Agents
Ambassador Ajadi revealed that NNPP agents stationed across the state reported widespread delays and harassment. In Ofada Ward, OGSIEC officials arrived at polling unit 07 at 1:45 PM, but polling unit 08 saw NNPP agents intimidated by individuals allegedly linked to the APC, reportedly with the support of law enforcement officers.
In Orimerunmu, OGSIEC officials eventually showed up at polling units 012 and 013, but voters remained stranded due to missing materials. Meanwhile, polling units 035 in Ibafo and 019 at Asese Primary School were completely unattended throughout the day.
Ajadi added, “Our agents reported that at most locations, OGSIEC officials showed up as late as 2 PM with only 50 ballot papers for Councillors and 50 for Chairmen. Where are the missing ballot papers? This suggests rigging was already in motion before the process began.”
Accusations of Intimidation and Collusion
Ajadi further alleged that armed thugs, purportedly working for the APC, disrupted voting in several wards by chasing away NNPP members. “No results should be declared from polling units where elections did not take place,” he insisted. “Our party agents monitored the process diligently, and the evidence is clear—this was an exercise in futility.”
The NNPP chieftain accused OGSIEC of failing in its constitutional duty to conduct free, fair, and credible elections. “The commission’s incompetence and bias have disenfranchised countless voters and undermined democracy in Ogun State,” he lamented.
Call for Judicial Intervention
Ajadi called on the judiciary to ensure that justice is served and warned against the announcement of any manipulated results. “The good citizens of Ogun State deserve transparency and accountability. Announcing fraudulent results would amount to robbing the people in broad daylight,” he said.
Public Reaction
As reports of electoral irregularities continue to emerge, stakeholders and political observers have joined Ajadi in questioning the credibility of the election. Many are demanding a thorough investigation into OGSIEC’s conduct and immediate reforms to prevent a recurrence in future elections.
Efforts to reach OGSIEC for comments on the allegations were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
