The Forum of Lagos State PDP Local Government Chairmen has rejected the results of the recently concluded council elections, describing them as fraudulent and vowing to challenge the outcome in court.
Speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday at the PDP Secretariat in Lagos Mainland LGA, Chief Adegboyega Adegbesan, Forum Chairman and PDP leader in Oshodi-Isolo LGA, strongly condemned the conduct of the elections held on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
“What happened on Saturday was not an election—it was a sham and a criminal conspiracy against the people’s democratic will,” Adegbesan said.
The press conference was attended by PDP LGA chairmen and senior party officials, who together declared that the PDP would not recognize what they termed a “deeply compromised and undemocratic process,” nor accept the legitimacy of those declared winners.
Allegations of widespread irregularities
Adegbesan alleged that the APC-led Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) colluded to rig the election through coordinated violence and manipulation.
According to him, armed thugs attacked polling units, snatched ballot boxes, and assaulted voters in full view of security agents and LASIEC officials, who reportedly failed to intervene.
“In PDP strongholds, there was massive ballot box stuffing, and pre-thumbprinted ballots were delivered in bags,” he noted.
Adegbesan further claimed that PDP agents were assaulted and denied access to collation centres, while election figures were manipulated—sometimes exceeding the number of registered voters.
“In many areas, election materials either arrived late or didn’t arrive at all, and documentation was deliberately left incomplete to frustrate voters and lower turnout,” he added.
Call for accountability and reform
Describing LASIEC as having lost the moral authority to act as an impartial electoral umpire, Adegbesan urged the National Assembly to urgently intervene to protect grassroots democracy and enact reforms that would prevent systemic electoral fraud in local elections.
“This goes beyond the PDP—it’s about justice, fairness, and the very future of democracy in Nigeria. If we ignore this injustice, we risk normalising rigging and permanently silencing voters,” he warned.
Other voices demand fresh elections
Supporting the call for justice, Alhaji Isiaka Shodiya, PDP chairman in Alimosho LGA, demanded the scrapping of state electoral commissions to uphold credible local elections.
Mr. Alade Yusuf, PDP councillorship candidate for Ward F in Yaba LCDA, also spoke out, alleging that no proper collation occurred before results were declared in his ward.
“We demand the cancellation of the Ward F election and the conduct of a fresh poll under proper security and civil society monitoring,” Yusuf stated.
Official results spark further controversy
According to LASIEC, the ruling APC won all 57 chairmanship seats and 375 out of 376 councillorship positions in the state, triggering outrage and calls for annulment from PDP leaders and candidates.
The PDP leadership reaffirmed its resolve to seek redress in court, insisting the fight was essential to restore integrity and give Lagos voters a genuine voice in governance.
