By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Lagos State House of Assembly elections held on March 18th, 2023, have been marred by accusations of voter intimidation. Mr Akinwande Osikominu, the Labour Party Candidate for Kosofe I, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of intimidating voters who want to exercise their franchise.
Mr Osikominu made the accusation after casting his vote at his polling unit in Lagos. Speaking to reporters, he said, “The turn out is a bit low compared to the previous election. I am also aware of intimidation in some areas in Kosofe. Some gates were shut, like the access gate in Atunrase going into Medina. As it stands, it’s still very okay, peaceful in most areas.”
He urged more people to come out to vote and implored INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) to ensure transparency, credibility, and free and fair elections. He also called for the results to be transmitted as stipulated by the umpire.
“My expectation is high,” he said. “I expect that INEC will play their part so that people can actually come out and exercise their fundamental human right. I also expect INEC to do the needful so that they can actually instill confidence in people.”
Mr Osikominu criticized INEC, saying they promised a lot, but they haven’t delivered. He said he would wait until the end of the process to benchmark them and see how far they had done.
The accusations of voter intimidation have raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in Lagos State. The APC has not responded to the allegations, but many observers have called for a full investigation into the matter to ensure that the democratic process is not compromised.
As the vote count continues, it remains to be seen how the allegations of voter intimidation will affect the outcome of the Lagos State House of Assembly elections.