Party challenges Lagos bye-election
By Ifedayo Adebayo


December 27, 2010 02:33AM
 

Describing it as a pyrrhic victory, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has vowed to head to the tribunal to challenge the victory of the Peoples' Democratic Party candidate in last week's by-election in the Ikorodu 2 state constituency in Lagos.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed in a statement on Sunday said that the step was necessary after it found evidence that the PDP rigged the election with the apparent backing of President Goodluck Jonathan. "The ugly development in Ikorodu sends a wrong signal as to whether the 2011 general elections can be free and fair," he said. The party accused the PDP of using intimidation and violence to ensure that the by-election was everything but free and fair.

The ACN is the ruling party in Lagos State and was certain it would hold on to the seat which became vacant after the last occupier died.

Some of the people interviewed by NEXT on the day of the election spoke about their dissatisfaction with the state government, especially over its perceived neglect of Ikorodu and its environs.

But Mr Mohammed said the loss was due to voter intimidation and violence."There was also a massive influx of unregistered voters from neighbouring Ogun state,with the connivance of the heavily-compromised INEC officials. Overall, there was a massive disenfranchisement of registered voters in all strongholds of the ACN during the bye election," he said.

"Violence was reported in Ijede,Ginti, Igbogbo and Ewuelepe. There was no voter's register in Surulere Estate and Offin in Igbogbo, known strongholds of ACN. Shooting and snatching of ballot boxes were reported at Ginti and Ewuelepe. There was over-militarisation of the constituency, with the invasion of mobile policemen, Immigration and Custom officers."

Blame the president

He also blamed the party's loss on Mr Jonathan's recent statement that the PDP will defeat the ACN in Lagos next year.

"That statement by the President laid the foundation for what transpired in Ikorodu, and is a sign of growing desperation by the PDP after seeing its stronghold on the South-west broken by our party," he said.

The party however said it would seek a legal redress."In the true and tested tradition of our party, ACN, we will be mounting a robust legal challenge against the so-called PDP victory in the Ikorodu 2 Constituency bye election," he said.



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