‘Elections in remote areas in Lagos were rigged’

BY KINGSLEY ADENIYI


April 15, 2011 02:00AM


The Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), an opposition political party in Lagos State, has condemned the just concluded National Assembly election in Lagos.

The party said that irregularities were prevalent in some riverine areas of the state. The state’s governorship candidate of the party, Jaiye Randle, said, on Thursday, that information from the reports obtained from their party agents in the last election, showed that there were multiple thumb printing in some areas.

Mr Randle said the malpractices was the determination of the ruling party in the state, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to put pressure on some traditional rulers to use their offices to ensure large returns through multiple thumb printing in the polling units of their catchments area. “I have asked my agents to provide proofs of these allegations as this is the only way we will be able to strengthen our democracy,” he said. “ACN may still have won the election for the National Assembly. We, however, need to reduce the propensity to want to use the electoral process to inflate our political base support.”

Reacting to the alleged low turnout of voters in last Saturday’s parliamentary polls, Mr Randle said: “This encourages us to come to conclusion that there are still several Lagosians, a majority for that matter, who are not particularly enamoured towards supporting the ACN or PDP, and are looking for an alternative platform able to manage their resources judiciously and also embark upon policies to alleviate poverty. That option is the SDMP.”

The promises

He also said that his party was ready reposition the state in line with the original mega city plan. “If the mobility and improvement in the welfare of citizens is the most basic criteria for assessing the effectiveness and relevance of government, the Action Congress of Nigeria administration has, despite spending approximately N2.236 trillion between 1999 and January 2011, failed,” he said.

Mr Randle described the escalating rate of youth unemployment in the state in particular, and rest of Nigeria, as a time bomb, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown all rolled into one with dire consequences for Lagos State and the nation. He, therefore, promised to tackle unemployment if voted in as governor of Lagos state.

Others disagree

Reacting, the state Chairman of All Nigeria National Peoples Party (ANPP), Abiodun Adetunji-Oyebolu, said the election to an extent was free and fair. “People should learn to accept defeat,” he said. “I did not record any irregularity. The election was better than the 2003 and 2007 elections. Politicians should learn to accept the outcome elections in Nigeria. It was free and fair.”

The South-West chairman of Congress of Political Leaders, Austin Nnorom, also extolled the leadership of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a fair National Assembly election. “So far, we can say it is so good,” he said. “Presently, it has been adjudged to be free and election. We have not received any report that contradicts the fairness of the election.”


http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5690064-147/story.csp