PDP, APC clash over Lagos poll results delay

The agent of the Peoples
Democratic Party for the
presidential election collation in
Lagos State, Mr. Wahab Owokoniran,
and his All Progressives Congress
counterpart, Senator Tokunbo
Afikuyomi, on Monday morning
hotly disagreed during the
collation exercise at the
Independent National Electoral
Commission Lagos office.
The quarrel began immediately the
Collation Officer for Lagos State,
Prof. Isaac Adewole, announced the
suspension of the collation of the
presidential poll till 8am.
Before Adewole suspended the
collation of the result at 1.48am,
electoral officers of four local
government areas had submitted
the results of their respective
council areas, while the results for
the remaining 16 local government
areas had yet to be returned to the
INEC office.
But immediately after Adewole,
who is the Vice Chancellor,
University of Ibadan, announced
the suspension of the collation of
the result, Owokoniran flared up
and protested the decision, asking
the state collation officer to explain
the rationale behind the shift.
Owokoniran raised issues
concerning non-arrival of the result
of the election that was conducted
on Saturday.
He said the result ought to have
been brought to the INEC office.
According to him, result of many
polling units, where PDP won, were
manipulated in favour of APC.
Owokoniran also alleged that
election did not take place in no
fewer than 30 polling units in Epe
Local Government Area of the state
and yet result was declared for
them.
“In some local government areas,
election had been concluded two
days ago. What could have delayed
the collation? I suspect there are
some discrepancies somewhere.
“We will not accept any result
different from the one we have,” he
said.
Owokoniran, however, submitted
two petitions to the Resident
Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Akin
Orebiyi, questioning the electoral
body’s collation process.
But Afikuyomi dismissed the claim,
saying only INEC had the authority
to announce the result of any
election.
He asked Owokoniran to speak by
facts, rather than making issues
that could generate controversy.
Describing himself as one of those
who framed the Electoral Act,
Afikuyomi said, “Before we begin to
make allegations about results
being tampered with, without any
substantial evidence or a single
shred of fact, I think we must speak
to facts and records.
“For instance, with regard to the
result for Apapa Local Government
Area, I have issues, but I will wait
for us to get there. I think we watch
the way we make claims because it
can have serious implications.”