Lagos by-election: INEC merely allocated votes to APC despite low turnout – PDP chairman, Doherty
Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the Saturday’s Senatorial and House of Assembly by-elections in the state as a charade, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allocating votes to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) despite low turnout of voters in the district.
Chairman of the party, Mr. Deji Doherty, raised this concern in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday, but quickly said that PDP and its stakeholders had learnt relevant lessons from the exercise, assuring that Lagos would be rescued from APC and its leadership that had held her down for over 20 years as the party would be more than ready before the 2023 General Election.
Doherty alleged that APC in collaboration with INEC, in an attempt to do image laundering after what he described as the EndSARS embarrassment, went about allocating ridiculous votes to party against the PDP in the just concluded Senatorial and House of Assembly polls.
According to him, this was done to give an impression that the APC and their leader are still in firm control of Lagos, saying this was obviously far from the truth and did not represent the true position of Lagosians.
PDP chairman posited that it was a common knowledge that the voters apathy alone negated the votes allotted to APC, saying that less than 10 per cent of the voters in Lagos State took part in the elections.
“We all know that the voters apathy alone negates the votes allotted to the APC, as less than 10 per cent of the voters in Lagos State took part in the elections,” Doherty said.
“Furthermore, even in spite of the lack of interest in the elections by Lagosians, we are all aware of the massive vote buying by the APC, using state funds.
“To the APC in Lagos, this devilish and draconian trend of cash for votes is worthy of celebration as evidence of control of the electorate, but we assure that this will end very soon.
“As a party, we have learnt our lessons and we will definitely be ready to face the APC and its leadership, that have held down Lagos State for over twenty years,” the party chairman said.
Doherty, while noting that PDP understood the reality of the difficult and manipulative ways of staggered elections, assured the good people of Lagos State that all hope was not lost as the party would be more than ready before the 2023 general election, urging various sympathizers of change, numerous party faithful and leaders not to be dismayed but should keep hope alive.
“To our numerous party faithful and leaders, we want to assure you that Lagos will fall in good side very soon in favour of the PDP,” he further assured.
Nigerian Tribune
