The Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has taken legal action against the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) by initiating contempt proceedings before the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal in Abeokuta. This follows the Commission’s failure to comply with the Tribunal’s order, which instructed OGSIEC to grant the Labour Party unrestricted access to inspect all electoral materials used in the controversial November 16, 2024, local government elections.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, LP’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Tokunbo Peters, revealed that the Tribunal had, on December 11, 2024, directed OGSIEC to provide the party with the necessary materials for inspection, including voter registers, ballot papers, and forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8E, and related documents used during the election. This order followed a petition filed by the Labour Party on November 29, 2024, challenging the conduct and results of the election and seeking its annulment.
Despite the Tribunal’s clear directive, OGSIEC filed an application to overturn the order, claiming that the Labour Party did not participate in the election and, therefore, had no right to inspect the materials. However, this claim is contradictory, as OGSIEC had earlier acknowledged LP’s participation in the election by listing the party as one of the contenders during the pre-election media briefing. Moreover, LP had fielded 14 chairmanship candidates and 110 councillorship candidates across Ogun state, and even succeeded in a legal challenge against OGSIEC regarding the administrative fees imposed on candidates, leading to a refund.
LP has expressed its disbelief at OGSIEC’s actions, deeming the Commission’s refusal to comply with the Tribunal’s order as a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice and cover up alleged electoral fraud. The party maintains that no legitimate election took place on November 16, 2024, and that OGSIEC officials were complicit in awarding fraudulent results to benefit the ruling party.
The Labour Party views the refusal to provide the requested electoral materials as further proof of OGSIEC’s complicity in the alleged manipulation of the election process. The party’s leadership has vowed to continue its legal battle, demanding transparency and accountability from the Commission.