Lagos APC: We Won’t Allow Opposition to Rig Future Elections

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it will not allow any opposition party to rig future elections in Nigeria, insisting that the ruling party remains committed to protecting the integrity of the country’s electoral process.

The party also rejected claims that it was solely responsible for alleged irregularities during the 2023 general elections, pointing instead to an independent statistical analysis which it said challenges that narrative.

Speaking on behalf of the party, Lagos APC spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, referenced a recent study conducted as part of a Data Science master’s thesis at Pan-Atlantic University. According to him, the research examined results from over 123,000 polling units across the country and concluded that electoral irregularities were not confined to any single political party.

He said the analysis revealed that the highest concentration of statistically significant anomalies occurred in areas widely regarded as strongholds of the Labour Party, particularly in parts of the South-East. The study reportedly showed that Lagos State recorded an anomaly rate of 2.3 per cent, while higher figures were observed in Anambra (24.9 per cent), Enugu (16.7 per cent), and Imo (10.9 per cent).

The APC further stated that the report identified an unusually high number of “perfect scores” in some Labour Party strongholds — voting patterns it described as statistically suspicious and worthy of closer scrutiny.

Oladejo argued that the findings weaken claims that the 2023 elections were centrally rigged by the federal government or the ruling party. He said the study suggested that electoral malpractice followed “opportunity rather than ideology,” implying that irregular practices may have occurred wherever the conditions allowed, regardless of party affiliation.

While acknowledging the report’s conclusion that the 2023 elections were neither entirely fraudulent nor completely free of irregularities, the Lagos APC maintained that electoral malpractice has evolved into more subtle forms, making it necessary to adopt stronger monitoring mechanisms ahead of future polls.

The party warned against what it described as attempts to manipulate public opinion through misinformation and post-election narratives. It said it would resist any effort by opposition groups to compromise future elections.

Reaffirming its position on electoral reform, the Lagos APC expressed support for measures such as independent audits of election data, real-time transmission of results, improved technical capacity for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the prosecution of electoral offenders, irrespective of party affiliation.

The party concluded by restating its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s electoral process before, during, and after future elections.

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