THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) are now trading words over the local government election which was held last Saturday in Lagos State, with both sides accusing and blaming each other.

The PDP accused the ACN of standing truth on its head over the local government election.

A statement issued by the national vice chairman (South-West) of the PDP, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, on Tuesday, blasted the ACN for allegedly attempting to rationalise the subversion of the electoral wish of the people of Lagos State.

The statement was in reaction to a statement by the national publicity secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in which he accused the PDP of subverting democracy in Lagos State.

“The ACN can never change from its crooked ways. After carrying out an open act of electoral robbery, it now turns round to blame the victim of the electoral heist of subversion. That tactic may have worked in the past but it cannot work now that ACN, in its greed, stole more than enough for the whole world to discover its true colour.

“ With the open robbery carried out in that election, Nigerians are now asking whether it was in like manner the ACN governors in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo secured their victories in the April elections.

“We advise leaders of the ACN to bury their heads in perpetual shame. There is always an end to everything under the sun. The end of the hypocrisy of the ACN has come," the PDP said.

Meanwhile, the ACN also accused the PDP-led Federal Government of using the security agencies to subvert democracy in Lagos State, saying the Federal Government must be held responsible for the alleged premeditated crisis trailing the local government election in the state.

Alhaji Mohammed, in a statement, said it was obvious that the highest echelons of the presidency and the police colluded to destabilise what was ordinarily a peaceful and well organised election, just to serve the anti-democratic interests of the PDP state.

''Efforts were made to drag other security agencies into the mix in a desperate attempt to concoct an undeserved victory for a party that is almost non-existent in Lagos State. But the power of the people, exercised through their votes, won the day, to the chagrin of the anarchists, who are now crying blue murder,'' it said.

The ACN wondered why the police would give a special protection to someone, who was not even a candidate in the election and the government would attempt to contract a mercenary group in the State Security Service (SSS) outside the established authority of the agency just to give victory to a supposedly strong PDP candidate at all costs.

''The meddlesome action of the presidency and the irresponsible and gross partisanship of the police led to the situation in which hired PDP thugs occupied the secretariat of the Ikoyi/Obalende council and declared victory for the PDP, even when the result was yet to be announced.

“The ignominious role of the security agencies emboldened the PDP thugs to chase away officials of LASIEC, who had to relocate to a safer place to collate and announce the result. The questions to be asked, therefore, is: what is the business of the Federal Government with local government election?

“'Why was it so desperate as to enlist the support of the Inspector General of Police and a mercenary group in the SSS to subvert the elections in Lagos? Does this not constitute an abuse of federalism? If the elections had been held in a non-ACN state, would the police have given a special protection to anyone, who is not a candidate as it did for a stalwart of the PDP in Lagos State?'’

It said the developments in Lagos at the weekend had strengthened the call for a state police, in line with true federalism.

The ACN said the well-worn argument that state police would be subject to abuse had been debunked by the role of the police in the Lagos State council polls.

Meanwhile, the party has described the criticism of the state council polls by the PDP national publicity secretary, Rufai Alkali, as disingenuous, poorly thought out and badly articulated.

“Is Professor Alkali, by his resort to the use of tired cliches of massive rigging and manipulation of figures, mistaking the ACN for the PDP, a party synonymous with electoral malfeasance? Is the professor justifying the misuse of public funds in deploying police personnel from Abuja to protect a non-candidate in the elections? Can any other party, apart from the PDP, sponsor thugs to take over a council secretariat in any state and chase away electoral officials, even as the police failed to act?” the ACN queried.

It said the reaction of the PDP amounted to sheer hypocrisy, “which is the same reason Nigeria is unravelling before their (PDP) very eyes.

In another development, controversies have continued to trail the announcement of the results of the local government elections in Lagos state.

Members of the PDP in Kosofe Local Government Area of the state, on Tuesday, barricaded the gate leading to the council secretariat, calling for justice.

Also, the PDP described as unconstitutional, the announcement of election results by the chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Abdulfatai Adeyinka.

This is just as a chieftain of the party, Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro, said he had no faith in election petition tribunal constituted by the state chief judge.

Protesting against the results announced by the LASIEC, members of the PDP, joined by over 100 youths from Kosofe, demanded that the result be released at the party secretariat, as against the LASIEC headquarters.

In a related development, the PDP said he would contest the results of the last Saturday election at the tribunal.

Making this known, its state chairman, Mr Setonji Koshoedo, said the chairman of the commission had no legal right to announce the results.

“Even if he has to announce, as a retired judge of Lagos State, the LASIEC chairman should not have announced different results, when there are video coverage and documents of announcements of results by the returning officers of the commission,” he said.

Kosheodo said the announced results were gross injustice, unprogressive, undemocratic and a slap on the faces of voters in Lagos.

“Our party won in at least four of the local government areas and in 125 wards that we have the result signed by LASIEC officials and ACN agents in the various polling units,” he said.

The PDP chairman, however, appealed to party supporters and members to remain calm, assuring them that justice would prevail in the end.

However, trouble may be brewing between Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana, Senator Obanikoro and the Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, over the elections, as the senator questioned the morality of the governor.

Obanikoro said Fashola had lost the moral right to rule Lagos, for conducting an election that was allegedly flawed in all ramifications, adding that the governor had colluded with his godfather to deny Lagos residents the right to freely choose who would represent them at the local government level.

The ambassador, who spoke at the Lagos State secretariat of the PDP on Tuesday, also accused ACN of planning to kill him.

Meanwhile, Koshoedo has called on Fashola not to inaugurate the winners declared by LASIEC but, instead, sack Justice Adeyinka, for allegedly orchestrating what he called a disgraceful polls.



http://www.nigeriancompass.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7037:pdp-obanikoro-fashola-must-resign-now&catid=54:nigeria-today&Itemid=594

“'Why was it so desperate as to enlist the support of the Inspector General of Police and a mercenary group in the SSS to subvert the elections in Lagos? Does this not constitute an abuse of federalism? If the elections had been held in a non-ACN state, would the police have given a special protection to anyone, who is not a candidate as it did for a stalwart of the PDP in Lagos State?'’

I don't understand this statement. You could almost read it that ACN wanted to harm the PDP man in question, or what exactly is the point?

Sore Losers!!! Obanikoro has once again shown that, in PDP there is no small or big thug. What was he expecting when he led band of thugs, armed with all sorts of dangerous weapons to distract peaceful and cordinated election? The idiota thought the business shall be as usual. What is more sickening is, this man is Nigerias high commisioner in another country. Only God can save US.
shameless PDP thugs.

Beaf:

I don't understand this statement. You could almost read it that ACN wanted to harm the PDP man in question, or what exactly is the point?

The Euphoria of stealing candies from a baby has not faded. I was there and we confronted the ACN SSS men, Thank God for the presence of highly placed men in the society and the dogged resistance of Obanikoro, they would have made away with the ballot boxes with a claim of "Orders from Above" sadly PDP at the Federal level is hardly serious about settling the Lagos issue. there is hardly any support from them even at the guber elections

This thief shameless Obanikoro man would not keep quiet?

Apart from the blood of Funsho Williams on his neck he has yet to tell us what his profession is and what his Date of birth is?

Faworaja oko asewo

if fashola should resign now, the pdp government led by GEJ should have resigned months ago.

lagerwhenindoubt:

The Euphoria of stealing candies from a baby has not faded. I was there and we confronted the ACN SSS men, Thank God for the presence of highly placed men in the society and the dogged resistance of Obanikoro, they would have made away with the ballot boxes with a claim of "Orders from Above" sadly PDP at the Federal level is hardly serious about settling the Lagos issue. there is hardly any support from them even at the guber elections  

So sss now rig election for Acn ? i thought pdp controls sss as per ruling party levels ?

First, I know Ibanikoro very very well.
I do not think he has enough integrity to ever prescribe anything concerning Fashola. Ibanikoro needs to Bleep off and allow sincere/ real leaders to talk.

In a developed and well structured country, Obanikoro will be lucky to be a commercial bus driver.

~Bluetooth:

So sss now rig election for Acn ? i thought pdp controls sss as per ruling party levels ?

My brother, Nigeria is cash and carry. You show the cash, you carry the men. Tinubu has bought SSS, Police, and the army boys in OP-MESA. If Jonathan has any sense, he will withdraw the military from security duties in Lagos State, as Tinubu is infiltrating the military with Lagos LG's funds that Fashola siphons from the joint State/LG account. The LGs get only about 20% of their Federal Allocations! This is a FACT. Plus, they're not allowed to collect any of the funds guaranteed them under Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, namely:

1. Private Houses and Tenements Fourth Schedule Part 1 (j) (Tenement Rate, now called Land Use Charge in Lagos State and collected by the state)

2. Waste Disposal: Now collected by LAWMA, an unconstitutional body, existing in direct contradiction of Fourth Schedule Part 1(h)

3. Abbatoirs: Collected by the state in direct contravention of Fourth Schedule Part 1(e)

4. Control and Regulation of Outdoor Advertising and hoarding: Collected by LASAA in direct contravention of Fourth Schedule Part 1(k)i

5. Control and Regulation of Shops and Kiosks, restaurants, bakeries and other places of sale of food to the public; and licensing control and regulation of the sale of liquor (last two includes hotels): All controlled and regulated in Lagos State, under all sorts of different charges, levies, fees and taxes charged directly by the state, in direct contravention of the Fourth Schedule Part 1(k) iii-vi

Fashola and Tinubu are collecting all these revenues, and when you ask, they'll say the Constitution empowers the State House of Assembly to make laws for the Local Governments, and all they are doing is within the ambit of Lagos State Law. However, Lagos State law cannot be and is not under any circumstances superior to the constitution, and where there are conflicts between the two, the constitution prevails. The same constitution, in the same Fourth Schedule, Part 1(d), says that the State House of Assembly may confer more functions in addition to the ones listed on Local Governments in their domain. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that the state house of Assembly may TAKE AWAY the functions, responsibilities or abridge the rights of the LGs in their domain. These idiots are breaking the law, blatantly, and their poster boy is a SAN.

SAN my foot. Two kobo SAN.

The same Obanikoro that was chasing my brother's fiancee promising her everything under the sun is the one asking Fashola to resign, the guy should go back to his Accra jare.

dayokanu:

This thief shameless Obanikoro man would not keep quiet?

Apart from the blood of Funsho Williams on his neck he has yet to tell us what his profession is and what his Date of birth is?

Forget that stupid, tired tactic of trying to pin Funso's death on Koro.

Everyone knows that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, using Saka Saula, who he also later ordered a hit on to stop him from blabbing, killed Funsho Williams. We're just waiting for nemesis to catch up with the confirmed b'stard.

And speaking of bastards, who is Tinubu, really? Who is is father, who is his mother? Where is he from? What primary school did he attend? What secondary school did he attend? What university? Chicago University say they don't know him. Government College Ibadan old boys ALL say they don't know him. There was no St. Paul's Primary School at Aroloya, which he claimed to have attended. There NEVER was one!!

Who is Yekini Amoda Ogunlere

hercules07:

The same Obanikoro that was chasing my brother's fiancee promising her everything under the sun is the one asking Fashola to resign, the guy should go back to his Accra jare.

Who send your brother not to get game Ore forget that one. Even Fashola dey chase skirt and shak to stupor on the regular for this Lagos. Wetin eye never see

The babe dey related to his wife o, the guy na shameless man no mind am.

Depilot:

First, I know Ibanikoro very very well.
I do not think he has enough integrity to ever prescribe anything concerning Fashola. Ibanikoro needs to bleep off and allow sincere/ real leaders to talk.

In a developed and well structured country, Obanikoro will be lucky to be a commercial bus driver.

You just stole my exact KeyStrokes, Thumbs up 4 such a logical reasoning,

If you guys bother to read the post you will see that [size=14pt]it wasthe PDP, not ACN, that the SSS and police worked for during the elections.[/size]

I have said it many times here, Beaf & others here are the NL arm of PDP's attempt to orchestrate their fraud in Lagos. Obanikoro is their point man, hence all the Federal support he got.

Targeting Lagos did not start today - it actually started after OBJ left power. If anybody could remember, OBJ started attempting to draw Fashola closer.

Warning alert for PDD & agents - don't start what you can't finish!!!!

djustice:

My brother, Nigeria is cash and carry. You show the cash, you carry the men. Tinubu has bought SSS, Police, and the army boys in OP-MESA. If Jonathan has any sense, he will withdraw the military from security duties in Lagos State, as Tinubu is infiltrating the military with Lagos LG's funds that Fashola siphons from the joint State/LG account. The LGs get only about 20% of their Federal Allocations! This is a FACT. Plus, they're not allowed to collect any of the funds guaranteed them under Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, namely:

1. Private Houses and Tenements Fourth Schedule Part 1 (j) (Tenement Rate, now called Land Use Charge in Lagos State and collected by the state)

2. Waste Disposal: Now collected by LAWMA, an unconstitutional body, existing in direct contradiction of Fourth Schedule Part 1(h)

3. Abbatoirs: Collected by the state in direct contravention of Fourth Schedule Part 1(e)

4. Control and Regulation of Outdoor Advertising and hoarding: Collected by LASAA in direct contravention of Fourth Schedule Part 1(k)i

5. Control and Regulation of Shops and Kiosks, restaurants, bakeries and other places of sale of food to the public; and licensing control and regulation of the sale of liquor (last two includes hotels): All controlled and regulated in Lagos State, under all sorts of different charges, levies, fees and taxes charged directly by the state, in direct contravention of the Fourth Schedule Part 1(k) iii-vi

Fashola and Tinubu are collecting all these revenues, and when you ask, they'll say the Constitution empowers the State House of Assembly to make laws for the Local Governments, and all they are doing is within the ambit of Lagos State Law. However, Lagos State law cannot be and is not under any circumstances superior to the constitution, and where there are conflicts between the two, the constitution prevails. The same constitution, in the same Fourth Schedule, Part 1(d), says that the State House of Assembly may confer more functions in addition to the ones listed on Local Governments in their domain. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that the state house of Assembly may TAKE AWAY the functions, responsibilities or abridge the rights of the LGs in their domain. These idiots are breaking the law, blatantly, and their poster boy is a SAN.

SAN my foot. Two kobo SAN.